{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T00:48:42Z","timestamp":1760057322131,"version":"build-2065373602"},"reference-count":46,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,31]],"date-time":"2025-01-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738281600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"University of Perugia, Italy, \u201cBasic Research Fund 2021\u201d","award":["cod. 2022.0395"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["cod. 2022.0395"]}]},{"name":"Fondazione Cassa Risparmio di Perugia, Italy\u2014Call for applications for the Scientific and Technological Research Sector 2022","award":["cod. 2022.0395"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["cod. 2022.0395"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Cells"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Nerve growth factor (NGF) plays a critical role in reproduction through paracrine and endocrine mechanisms. However, its autocrine effects on uterine receptivity and inflammatory pathways remain unknown. This study is the first to demonstrate NGF\u2019s direct autocrine action on sheep endometrial luminal epithelial cells (SELECs), primary cultures treated with NGF for 12, 24, and 48 h, with or without the NTRK1 antagonist. NGF significantly increased PGE2 (p &lt; 0.0001) and PGF2\u03b1 (p &lt; 0.0001) levels only at 12 h, with no significant changes at 24 and 48 h. NGF also upregulated the expression of NGF, COX2, and NTRK1 (p &lt; 0.0001), and p75NTR and STAR (p &lt; 0.001), at 12 h, with the effects reversed by NTRK1 inhibition, while no significant changes were observed for TLR4 (p &gt; 0.05). Western blot (WB) analysis was performed exclusively to confirm the presence of NGF protein, revealing no significant differences (p &gt; 0.05) across experimental conditions. These findings highlight NGF\u2019s role in directly regulating SELEC activity through autocrine mechanisms, emphasizing its importance in uterine receptivity and reproductive readiness. This study provides novel insights into NGF\u2019s role in sheep reproduction and its potential applications in fertility treatments.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/cells14030208","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,31]],"date-time":"2025-01-31T08:05:41Z","timestamp":1738310741000},"page":"208","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":1,"title":["The Autocrine Impact of Nerve Growth Factor on Sheep Uterine Epithelial Cells"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3695-9275","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gabriella","family":"Guelfi","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3191-7009","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rolando","family":"Pasquariello","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences\u2014Production, Territory, Agroenergy, University of Milan, Via Celoria 2, 20133 Milano, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6451-3751","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cecilia","family":"Dall\u2019Aglio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8799-1200","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francesca","family":"Mercati","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0634-0386","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chiara","family":"Suvieri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Perugia, Piazzale Settimio Gambuli 1, 06129 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2456-6300","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Carmela","family":"Conte","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Perugia, Via del Liceo, 1, 06123 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1040-6245","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Camilla","family":"Capaccia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Marcelo","family":"Ratto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Austral University of Chile, Campus Isla Teja, Calle Las Encinas 220, Valdivia P.O. Box 567, Chile"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1727-4118","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Margherita","family":"Maranesi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Ferraguti, G., Fanfarillo, F., Tarani, L., Blacon\u00e0, G., Tarani, F., Barbato, C., Minni, A., Ralli, M., Francati, S., and Greco, A. (2022). NGF and the Male Reproductive System: Potential Clinical Applications in Infertility. Int. J. Mol. 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