Evaluation of Diabetes Effects on the Expression of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A Genes and Proteins at the Time of Endometrial Receptivity after Superovulation in Rat Model

Diabetes, a major metabolic disorder, seems to affect the fertility rates of women in various ways. Due to the uncertainty of the effects of diabetes along with superovulation treatment on the infertility, we investigate the effects of ovulation induction treatment as therapeutic approach on the expression of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) as two main factors which are involved in the implantation in the streptozotocin (STZ)‑induced type 1 diabetic rats.

Type 1 diabetes was induced by injections of STZ in Wistar rats. The animals were kept in diabetic conditions for 4 weeks, while some were treated with insulin for treatment. After treatment, the ovulation was induced by human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The rats were then sacrificed and the expression of LIF and VEGFA was checked by immunohistochemistry staining method, and the relative expression of LIF and VEGFA was measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‑PCR) and Western blotting methods.

It was observed that diabetes and insulin treatment for diabetes altered the expression of Lif and VEGFA in both mRNA and protein levels. However, superovulation treatment seems to ameliorate this alternation for both factors.

According to our results, diabetes and insulin therapy could alter the expression of Lif and VEGFA genes and proteins that are effective in endometrial receptivity and implantation process. It seems in diabetic cases, the effect of hCG and hMG therapy by itself could regulate the level of expression and presence of these two genes and proteins.