The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway exerts effects on the implantation of mouse embryos by regulating the expression of RhoA

Liu,Liyuan; Wang,Yingxiong; Yu,Qiubo

doi:10.3892/ijmm.2014.1701

The PI3K/Akt signaling pathway exerts effects on the implantation of mouse embryos by regulating the expression of RhoA

Authors:
- Liyuan Liu
- Yingxiong Wang
- Qiubo Yu
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Affiliations: College of Basic Medicine, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China, Molecular Medical Laboratory, Chongqing Medical University, Yuzhong, Chongqing 400016, P.R. China
Published online on: March 17, 2014 https://doi.org/10.3892/ijmm.2014.1701
Pages: 1089-1096
Copyright: © Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License [CC BY_NC 3.0].

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Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway affects the implantation of mouse embryos by regulating the expression of RhoA. The expression of PI3K, Akt, phosphorylated (p-)Akt, phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and RhoA in the uterus of mice on day 5 of pregnancy (D5) and in pseudopregnant mice was examined by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. A functional analysis of these genes was also performed by the intrauterine injection with the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, on day 2 of pregnancy (D2). The expression levels of PI3K, p-Akt, RhoA at the implantation site were higher than those at the inter-implantation site in the endometrium; however, opposite effects were observed for PTEN expression. The expression levels of the above genes in the pseudopregnant group and in the group injected with the PI3K/Akt inhibitor, LY294002, were markedly lower than those in the pregnant group. Functional experiments revealed that the number of implantation sites had been significantly decreased (P<0.05) following the intrauterine injection of the PI3K inhibitor, LY294002, on day 2 of gestation compared with the contralateral injection of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). These results suggest that the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway affects embryo implantation by regulating the expression of RhoA.

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