{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,8]],"date-time":"2026-09-08T17:06:37Z","timestamp":1788887197735,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,20]],"date-time":"2026-08-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787184000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":231,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100002081","name":"Irish Research Council","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["GOIPG\/2021\/406"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["GOIPG\/2021\/406"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100002081","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100001584","name":"Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["2023RP997"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["2023RP997"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100001584","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]},{"name":"EU Marie Sk\u0142odowska-Curie Actions Doctoral Network","award":["101120104"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["101120104"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,1,8]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>Ectoine, a compatible solute produced by extremophilic bacteria, is widely used for mucosal protection due to its cytoprotective and anti\u2011inflammatory properties. However, its effects within the female reproductive tract and its interaction with sperm\u2011associated immune responses remain unknown. This study provides the first assessment of ectoine\u2019s immunomodulatory activity in bovine cervical and uterine tissues and its influence on sperm\u2013polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) interactions. Cervical and uterine explants from follicular\u2011phase heifers (n\u2009=\u20095) were pre\u2011incubated with 0, 0.5, 5, or 50\u2009mM ectoine prior to stimulation with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or sperm. Cytokine concentrations (IL\u20118, IL\u20116, and IL\u20111\u03b2) were measured by ELISA, and sperm\u2013PMN binding and sperm motility following PMN co\u2011incubation were evaluated. Baseline cytokine secretion was higher in uterine versus cervical explants (P\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.05), indicating distinct tissue\u2011specific immune profiles. Ectoine alone did not alter basal cytokine secretion (P\u2009&amp;gt;\u20090.05). LPS increased IL\u20118, IL\u20116, and IL\u20111\u03b2 secretion from cervical explants and IL\u20118 and IL\u20111\u03b2 in uterine explants (P\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.05), and ectoine did not modify these responses (P\u2009&amp;gt;\u20090.05). Sperm elevated IL\u20111\u03b2 release from uterine explants (P\u2009&amp;lt;\u20090.01), while IL\u20116 and IL\u20118 remained unchanged; this response was also unaffected by ectoine (P\u2009&amp;gt;\u20090.05). Ectoine did not influence sperm\u2013PMN binding or sperm motility in the presence of PMNs (P\u2009&amp;gt;\u20090.05). Collectively, this study provides the first reproductive\u2011tract safety evaluation of ectoine, demonstrating that it does not disrupt constitutive or stimulus\u2011induced inflammatory signaling nor interfere with sperm\u2013immune interactions. These findings support ectoine\u2019s safe incorporation into semen preservation and assisted reproductive technologies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1093\/jas\/skag254","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,19]],"date-time":"2026-08-19T11:49:11Z","timestamp":1787140151000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Investigating the role of the bacterial metabolite ectoine on immune regulation within the bovine female reproductive tract"],"prefix":"10.1093","volume":"104","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5227-6277","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kaitlyn","family":"Weldon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Bernal Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick , Limerick V94 T9PX,","place":["Ireland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nathan","family":"Johnston","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Bernal Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick , Limerick V94 T9PX,","place":["Ireland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3051-8586","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kieran G","family":"Meade","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin , Dublin D04 V1W8,","place":["Ireland"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0085-1537","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sean","family":"Fair","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biological Sciences, Bernal Institute, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Limerick , Limerick V94 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