Progesterone induction of lysozyme and peptidase activities in the porcine uterus.
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When nonpregnant ovariectomized gilts were treated daily for 15 days with progesterone or progesterone plus estradiol, there was a tenfold increase in the amount of secreted protein that could be flushed from their uteri compared with control animals administered either no steroid or only estradiol. This increase was due to the appearance of a number of new proteins not present in the controls. In addition to a purple-colored protein with acid phosphatase activity, which has been described previously, there were large increases in lysozyme and leucine aminopeptidase activity. All three enzymes appeared to be induced by progesterone. By continuing the progesterone treatments for periods up to 60 days, it was possible to recover very high levels of each of these enzymes from the uterine flushings of the pigs. Cathepsin activities (B1, D, and E) were also found to increase as progesterone treatment was prolonged. The levels of the peptidases does not seem to be coordinated since their activities change relative to each other when different animals are examined. Acid phosphatase (due entirely to the purple protein), lysozyme, and leucine aminopeptidase activities are also detectable in allantoic fluid after Day 30 of pregnancy and reach a maximum between Days 60 and 80. It is suggested that these enzymes may be maternal in origin. 1976.
