Tumor necrosis factor-alpha induces apoptosis in cultured porcine luteal cells

Some studies in mammalian species recently demonstrated that tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha plays an important role for corpus luteum (CL) function by way of apoptosis during the estrous cycle. The objectives of this study were to clarify the induction of apoptosis in cultured porcine luteal cells by TNF-alpha treatment. Luteal cells prepared from porcine ovaries collected from crossbred mature gilts on Days 10-14 of the estrous cycle were isolated and examined as follows: 1) Flow cytometric analysis was carried out to determine apoptosis in cultured luteal cells. 2) Single-cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) was performed to investigate apoptotic DNA fragmentation in luteal cells. The results of the flow cytometric analysis and comet assay demonstrated coincidentally that TNF-alpha induces DNA fragmentation in luteal cells causing apoptosis. These results revealed that TNF-alpha is an inducing factor of apoptosis in luteal cells.