Arginine enhances embryo implantation in rats through PI3K/PKB/mTOR/NO signaling pathway during early pregnancy

• DOI: 10.1530/rep-12-0254
• Publication Date: 2012-10-19T01:46:53Z
• Authors: Xiangfang Zeng; Xiangbing Mao; Zhimin Huang; Fenglai Wang; Guoyao Wu; Shiyan Qiao
• Keywords: Wortmannin

Our previous study has demonstrated that dietary arginine supplementation during early pregnancy enhanced embryo implantation in rats. However, the mechanism was not clear. The objective of this to determine pregnancy. Rats were fed basal diets supplemented with 1.3% (wt:wt) L-arginine-HCl or 2.2% L-alanine (isonitrogenous control) once On d4 pregnancy, rats given intrauterine injection L-NG-nitro methyl ester (L-NAME, nitric oxide synthase inhibitor), α-difluoromethylornithine (DFMO, polyamine synthesis wortmannin (PI3K rapamycin (mTOR inhibitor). d7 killed. Intrauterine L-NAME decreased sites, while increased sites. DFMO rate, which reversed by supplementation. inhibited implantation. did reverse inhibition. Western blot analysis revealed expression uterine p-PKB and p-S6K1 greater arginine-supplemented diet presence treatment compared control diet. In treatment, iNOS eNOS significantly group group. Similarly, eNOS, These data indicated could enhance through stimulation PI3K/PKB/mTOR/NO signaling pathway.