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Animals
Special Issues
Physiology and Pathology of Bovine Reproduction
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Physiology and Pathology of Bovine Reproduction

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 531

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dong Zhou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Interests: embryo implantation; gestation; hormones; steroids; infertility; mastitis; endometritis; reproductive immunology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mingchao Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding 071001, China
Interests: gestation; infertility; mastitis; endometritis; reproductive immunology
Dr. Guiyan Yang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
Interests: probiotics; gut–liver–brain axis; multi-omics integration; big data analysis; artificial intelligence in animal health; nutritional metabolic diseases; molecular pathogenesis; early diagnostic biomarkers; livestock disease prevention; common infectious diseases in livestock

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproductive health is fundamental to the productivity and sustainability of the cattle industry. Bovine reproduction is a complex process regulated by intricate physiological mechanisms, and disturbances in these processes can lead to reproductive disorders that impact fertility, herd health, and economic viability. Advancements in molecular biology, endocrinology, microbiota research, and disease diagnostics have greatly enhanced our understanding of bovine reproductive physiology and pathology, opening new avenues for improving reproductive efficiency and disease management.

We are pleased to invite you to contribute to this Special Issue, which aims to explore the latest research on the physiological mechanisms governing bovine reproduction and the pathological conditions affecting fertility. Studies that provide novel insights into reproductive endocrinology, molecular regulation, inflammation, infectious diseases, and emerging diagnostic and therapeutic strategies are particularly welcome.

We encourage both original research articles and reviews on topics including (but not limited to) the following:

  • Hormonal regulation of bovine reproduction;
  • Molecular and cellular mechanisms of fertility;
  • Uterine and ovarian physiology and disorders;
  • Endometritis, metritis, and other reproductive diseases;
  • Impact of microbiota on reproductive health;
  • Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) in cattle;
  • Inflammatory pathways and immune regulation in reproduction;
  • Biomarkers and novel diagnostic tools for reproductive disorders.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Dong Zhou
Dr. Mingchao Liu
Dr. Guiyan Yang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bovine reproduction
  • reproductive physiology
  • reproductive pathology
  • peripartum health
  • assisted reproductive technologies
  • fertility genomics
  • metabolic disorders
  • infectious diseases
  • animal welfare
  • livestock management

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 5903 KiB  
Article
Oxidative Stress Mediates the Dual Regulatory Effects of Bovine Uterine ECM Remodeling Through the TGF-β1/Smad3 Pathway: Molecular Mechanisms of MMPs and COL-IV Imbalances
by Jiamei Tan, Zongjie Wang, Mingmao Yang, Ruihang Zhang, Zhongqiang Xue, Dong Zhou, Aihua Wang, Pengfei Lin and Yaping Jin
Animals 2025, 15(13), 1847; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15131847 - 23 Jun 2025
Viewed by 313
Abstract
Bovine endometritis is a common endocrine and reproductive disorder in postpartum dairy cows, closely associated with elevated systemic oxidative stress. This disease can lead to delayed uterine involution, repeated breeding failure, and significant economic losses in the dairy industry. Studies suggest that oxidative [...] Read more.
Bovine endometritis is a common endocrine and reproductive disorder in postpartum dairy cows, closely associated with elevated systemic oxidative stress. This disease can lead to delayed uterine involution, repeated breeding failure, and significant economic losses in the dairy industry. Studies suggest that oxidative stress may contribute to the pathological progression of endometritis by regulating ECM remodeling, but the specific molecular mechanisms remain unclear. ECM homeostasis relies on the coordinated action of matrix metalloproteinases (e.g., MMP2, MMP9) and collagen (e.g., type IV collagen, COL-IV), while the TGFβ1/Smad3 signaling pathway is implicated in ECM metabolic regulation. Therefore, elucidating the regulatory mechanisms of oxidative-stress-mediated TGFβ1/Smad3 signaling on ECM remodeling is crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of endometritis. This study investigates postpartum bovine uterine tissues, comparing inflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α) and oxidative-stress-related factors (GPx, SOD, CAT) between healthy and endometritis groups. Additionally, the differences in ECM-remodeling-associated proteins (MMP2, MMP9, COL-IV) and TGFβ1/Smad3 pathway activity are analyzed. To further validate the mechanisms, an oxidative stress model is established in vitro by treating bovine endometrial epithelial cells (bEECs) with 200 μM H2O2 for 4 h, followed by the valuation of the same indicators. Furthermore, gene silencing to downregulate Smad3 expression or inhibitor-mediated suppression of TGFβ1/Smad3 pathway activity is performed to observe their regulatory effects on MMP2, MMP9, and COL-IV. The results demonstrate that oxidative-stress-mediated endometritis significantly upregulates MMP2, MMP9, and the TGFβ1/Smad3 pathway activity, while suppressing COL-IV expression. Functional genetic experiments further reveal the dual regulatory role of the TGFβ1/Smad3 pathway in ECM remodeling: (1) pathway activation promotes MMP2/MMP9 expression, accelerating COL-IV degradation; (2) Smad3 positively regulates COL-IV synthesis. These findings provide a theoretical basis for targeting the TGFβ1/Smad3 pathway to mitigate the pathological progression of endometritis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Physiology and Pathology of Bovine Reproduction)
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