Class

Article

College

College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences

Department

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department

Faculty Mentor

Jeffrey Mason

Presentation Type

Oral Presentation

Abstract

The Effects of Ovarian Somatic Cells on Post-Menopausal Healt Tracy L. Habermehl, Kyleigh A. Tyler, McKenna R. Walters, Steven T. Gawrys, Jeffrey B. Maso Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, Utah Reproductively cycling females have a significant health advantage over similarly aged males. At menopause, their ovaries become senescent and the risk of health-related diseases increases. Transplantation of young, intact ovaries into aged mice increased longevity. Germ cell-depleted ovarian transplants displayed a further extension of life and health span. Replacement of young, ovarian somatic cells allows the ovaries to support increased health in aged females. In the current experiments, controls had their original ovaries and included mice at: 1) 850 days old (n=5), 2) 600 days old (n=6), 3) 250 days old (n=6) and 4) 150-day old mice (n=19). Treated mice (600 days old) all received transplanted ovaries and included: 1) mice with young, intact ovaries (n=9), 2) mice with young germ cell-depleted ovaries (n=10), and 3) mice with young ovarian somatic cell injected ovaries (n=5). Each mouse will participate in several health span assays associated with post-menopausal parameters that decline with age. We expect to see changes in metabolism, immune, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular function and cognition within and between treatment and control groups. The suggested expectations arise from the well-established enhancement of health in germ cell-depleted primitive species. The upregulation of FOXO signaling and the preservation of the somatic cells are critical for the improvement of health in those organisms. The FOXO gene plays a role in several cellular pathways, and in the absence of the germ line, FOXO upregulates the pathways needed for survival, thus improving health. Therefore, in the absence of the germ cells in the ovaries or with the addition of young ovarian somatic cells, FOXO signaling should help to improve those aspects of health influenced by aging. Understanding the communication between the somatic and germ cells with the FOXO signaling, is hoped to restore and improve the health aspects of post-menopausal women in the future.

Location

Room 155

Start Date

4-10-2019 12:00 PM

End Date

4-10-2019 1:15 PM

Included in

Life Sciences Commons

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Apr 10th, 12:00 PM Apr 10th, 1:15 PM

The Effects of Ovarian Somatic Cells on Post-Menopausal Health

Room 155

The Effects of Ovarian Somatic Cells on Post-Menopausal Healt Tracy L. Habermehl, Kyleigh A. Tyler, McKenna R. Walters, Steven T. Gawrys, Jeffrey B. Maso Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Utah State University, Logan, Utah Reproductively cycling females have a significant health advantage over similarly aged males. At menopause, their ovaries become senescent and the risk of health-related diseases increases. Transplantation of young, intact ovaries into aged mice increased longevity. Germ cell-depleted ovarian transplants displayed a further extension of life and health span. Replacement of young, ovarian somatic cells allows the ovaries to support increased health in aged females. In the current experiments, controls had their original ovaries and included mice at: 1) 850 days old (n=5), 2) 600 days old (n=6), 3) 250 days old (n=6) and 4) 150-day old mice (n=19). Treated mice (600 days old) all received transplanted ovaries and included: 1) mice with young, intact ovaries (n=9), 2) mice with young germ cell-depleted ovaries (n=10), and 3) mice with young ovarian somatic cell injected ovaries (n=5). Each mouse will participate in several health span assays associated with post-menopausal parameters that decline with age. We expect to see changes in metabolism, immune, musculoskeletal and cardiovascular function and cognition within and between treatment and control groups. The suggested expectations arise from the well-established enhancement of health in germ cell-depleted primitive species. The upregulation of FOXO signaling and the preservation of the somatic cells are critical for the improvement of health in those organisms. The FOXO gene plays a role in several cellular pathways, and in the absence of the germ line, FOXO upregulates the pathways needed for survival, thus improving health. Therefore, in the absence of the germ cells in the ovaries or with the addition of young ovarian somatic cells, FOXO signaling should help to improve those aspects of health influenced by aging. Understanding the communication between the somatic and germ cells with the FOXO signaling, is hoped to restore and improve the health aspects of post-menopausal women in the future.