Abstract
Sex steroids and antioxidant enzymes are important in female sexual development and adequate modulation of the estrous cycle, pregnancy, and fetal development. Therefore, modifications in its signaling or expression in the genital system are associated with reproductive dysfunctions. However, the spatial-temporal expression profile of receptors for sex steroids and antioxidant enzymes in the uterus of domestic cats throughout the estrous cycle needs to be studied. Cats in proestrus/estrus (N = 6), diestrus, (N = 7), and anestrus (N = 6) were used to evaluate the uterine expression of estrogen alpha (ERα), progesterone (PR), and androgen (AR) receptors and of the antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), catalase and glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) by immunohistochemistry and qPCR. The uterus of cats in diestrus showed lower protein and mRNA expression of ERα and PR compared to proestrus/estrus and anestrus, mainly in the luminal and glandular epithelium and myometrium, different from catalase and SOD1, which showed higher expression in diestrus in relation to other phases of the cycle. GPX1, on the other hand, showed lower uterine gene expression in diestrus compared to proestrus/estrus and anestrus. No significant differences in AR expression were observed. In conclusion, ERα and PR sex steroid receptors and antioxidant enzymes are expressed differently in the uterus of domestic cats during the estrous cycle.