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New Insights into Exploring the Development of the Animal Uterus during Pregnancy

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2025) | Viewed by 796

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego St. 1A. 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: reproduction; endocrinology; pregnancy; oestrous cycle; ovaries, pituitary; uterus
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego St. 1A., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: reproduction; endocrinology; pregnancy; oestrous cycle; adipokines; uterus; HPG axis; ovaries; pig
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Oczapowskiego St. 1A., 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Interests: reproduction; endocrinology; pregnancy; oestrous cycle; ovaries; pig, biochemistry, enzymology, parasitology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Human Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Collegium Medicum, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Warszawska St. 30, Olsztyn 10-082, Poland
Interests: animal reproduction; photoperiod; biomarkers in cancer diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the intricate process of uterus development during pregnancy is crucial for advancing reproductive health and ensuring successful gestation across various animal species. The exploration of uterine development extends beyond the embryonic phase, encompassing the entire gestational timeline, from implantation to parturition.

The presented Special Issue entitled “New Insights into Exploring the Development of the Animal Uterus during Pregnancy” attempts to provide novel insights into the dynamic and complex mechanisms governing uterine development during pregnancy. The employment of various cutting-edge molecular and cellular techniques, as well as traditional well-established methods, allows us to investigate the key molecular players, signalling pathways, and cellular interactions that orchestrate the formation and maturation of the animal uterus throughout gestation. Special attention is given to elucidating the roles of hormones, growth factors, and cellular processes involved in the morphogenesis, vascularization, and functional maturation of the uterine tissues. Furthermore, we would like to present advanced imaging techniques to visualize and analyse the spatiotemporal dynamics of uterine development, providing a multi-dimensional perspective on the structural changes occurring during pregnancy.

We believe that the insights gained from this Special Issue not only contribute to our fundamental understanding of reproductive biology but also hold implications for fertility treatments, pregnancy complications, and evolutionary adaptations in diverse animal taxa

Prof. Dr. Tadeusz Kamiński
Dr. Marta Kiezun
Dr. Ewa Anna Zaobidna
Dr. Jacek Kieżun
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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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

  • uterus
  • pregnancy
  • gestation
  • embryogenesis
  • molecular biology
  • fertility

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 5676 KB  
Article
A20 Attenuates Inflammatory Injury in Bovine Endometrial Epithelial Cells Through Autophagy-Mediated NLRP3 Inflammasome Inactivation
by Yongshuai Jiang, Fan Fei, Xiaoyu Wang, Yeqi Jiang, Kangjun Liu, Long Guo, Luying Cui, Heng Wang, Junsheng Dong and Jianji Li
Animals 2025, 15(24), 3513; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15243513 - 5 Dec 2025
Viewed by 231
Abstract
Endometritis, an inflammatory disease of the uterine endometrial tissue, is a major reproductive disorder in dairy cattle that causes extensive damage to endometrial epithelial cells. Excessive activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is strongly associated with inflammatory pathology. Autophagy plays a critical role in [...] Read more.
Endometritis, an inflammatory disease of the uterine endometrial tissue, is a major reproductive disorder in dairy cattle that causes extensive damage to endometrial epithelial cells. Excessive activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome is strongly associated with inflammatory pathology. Autophagy plays a critical role in clearing damaged proteins, organelles, and intracellular pathogens. Additionally, the zinc finger protein A20 exhibits potent anti-inflammatory effects across various inflammatory conditions. However, the roles of A20 and autophagy in regulating the NLRP3 inflammasome in BEECs remain poorly defined. This study shows that LPS significantly increased IL-1β expression, Caspase-1 activity, and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels, while inducing numerous vesicular protrusions and membrane pores, resulting in severe inflammatory injury. A20 overexpression mitigated LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and alleviated inflammatory injury. Conversely, autophagy inhibition or A20 silencing intensified LPS-induced NLRP3 inflammasome activation and inflammatory injury. Further analysis revealed that A20 promotes autophagy, and its inhibitory effect on the NLRP3 inflammasome was diminished when autophagy was suppressed. In conclusion, A20 reduces LPS-induced inflammatory injury in BEECs by enhancing autophagy and suppressing NLRP3 inflammasome activation. These results uncover a novel regulatory role for A20 in controlling excessive NLRP3 inflammasome activation in BEECs, suggesting its potential as a therapeutic target for bovine endometritis. Full article
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