Transcriptional and translational abundance of visfatin (NAMPT) in buffalo ovary during estrous cycle and its in-vitro effect on steroidogenesis

Abstract Visfatin is a highly conserved adipokine protein having multiple biological effects, including regulation of reproduction. Evidence in recent years has shown a pivotal role of visfatin in ovarian functions. The present study was conducted to evaluate the mRNA and protein abundance of visfatin in ovarian follicles and corpora lutea (CL) during different stages of their development in the ovary of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and to investigate the role of visfatin on estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) secretion. Ovarian follicles were categorized in to small (F1), medium (F2), large (F3) and pre-ovulatory (F4) follicles, whereas the corpora lutea were categorized into early (CL1), mid (CL2), late (CL3), and regressing (CL4) CL stage. In follicles, the mRNA and protein abundance of visfatin increased with an increase in follicle size in granulosa cells (GC) and theca interna (TI) cells. In CL, the transcript of visfatin was significantly (P