Prostaglandin treatment is associated with a withdrawal of progesterone and androgen at the receptor level in the uterine cervix

Treatment with prostaglandin(PG)-E2 is clinically efficient for cervical priming. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of PG-E2 on the expression of the progesterone (PR), androgen (AR) and glucocorticoid (GR) receptors in human uterine cervix in prolonged pregnancy

Trade-off between resource allocation and acquisition in anadromous adult male Atlantic salmon (<i>Salmo salar</i> L.)

Individual energetic limitations in variable environments lead to life-history trade-offs between investment in somatic growth and gonadal tissue, causing individuals to adopt specific behavioural tactics to attain reproduction. We investigated energy allocation in primary and secondary sexual traits in Atlantic salmon by estimating the life history characters (smolt size, sea age, first sea year growth rate) by back-calculation of scales. Adult size increased with the fish sea age (years at sea) and exerted a strong allometric effect on the energy investment pattern into secondary sexual traits. A compensatory mechanism at the ejaculate level is identified by which males investing less in secondary sexual traits produce ejaculates of higher quality. Distinct differences in investment into primary and secondary sexual traits between the fish that spent a single year in the sea before returning to the spawn (grilse) and multi-sea-year adults were detected, indicating that their energy allocation strategy in reproductive effort reflects alternative developmental pathways. Grilse ejaculate investment depended more on the resource allocation, whereas multi-sea-year male ejaculate investment depended more on the resource acquisition

Sperm quality in the alternative reproductive tactics of Atlantic salmon: the importance of the loaded raffle mechanism.

The outcome of sperm competition in species with alternative male reproductive strategies may be determined by fair or loaded raffle mechanisms. The sperm production and quality of male Atlantic salmon using alternative reproductive tactics were investigated in order to determine the relative importance of sperm quality for male reproductive success. Sexually mature resident parr males produced greater numbers of spermatozoa per millilitre of ejaculate and invested more in their gonads as a percentage of body mass than their anadromous counterparts. Parr males had greater proportions of motile spermatozoa and a greater sperm ATP content as compared with anadromous males. Parr males invested relatively more in sperm quality and sperm numbers after the effect of body size was accounted for. In fertilization experiments, parr males fertilized greater proportions of eggs than anadromous males. A polynomial model exhibited a trade-off between testes mass and ejaculate expenditure and explained 60% of the variation. These results establish that, in sperm competition with dominant males, parr males may compensate for behavioural subordinance by producing physiologically superior spermatozoa