Altered expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), LIFR, gp130, and IL11 in the embryo implantation site of rat model with prenatal androgen-induced polycystic ovary syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex endocrine disorder that represents infertility in many reproductive-age women. Reduced implantation of blastocyst was proposed as an etiology for infertility in this syndrome. In this regard, many candidate genes such as leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), LIF receptor (LIFR), glycoprotein 130 (gp130), and interleukin 11 (IL11) were proposed to be disrupted. Investigation of these genes is not ethically approved in pregnant women with PCOS. In this study, we aimed to compare the expression of LIF, LIFR, gp130, and IL11 before and during different gestational days in uterine tissues of prenatally-androgenized rat models of PCOS with control rats. The rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome was created by the injection of testosterone during prenatal life. RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis from uterine tissues were performed in both prenatal induced PCOS and control rats. Expression of LIF, LIFR, gp130, and IL11 genes was compared before pregnancy (GD0) and during pregnancy on GD0.5, GD4.5, GD5.5, and GD8.5 between two study groups (n = 6 each group) using SYBR Green real-time PCR. The expression of the LIF mRNAs significantly decreased on GD4.5, 5.5, and 8.5 in the PCOS rats compared to the controls (P-values: 0.0483, 0.0152, and 0.0043). Additionally, decreased expression of LIFR and gp130 was observed on GD0.5 to 8.5 in PCOS rats compared to controls (P-values: 0.022, 0.0480, 0.0043, 0.0022 for LIFR and 0.0189, 0.0022, 0.0087, 0.0022 for gp130). Moreover, IL-11 mRNA levels decreased in the PCOS group compared to their controls both before (P-value:0.0362) and during the gestational period (P-values:0.0085, 0.0043, 0.0389, 0.0087). Reduced expression of LIF, LIFR, gp130, and IL11 in the rats with PCOS indicates a possible disruption in the implantation and decidualization stages in this syndrome.