Fig 2: Effects of ZEN on the contents of serum GHRH, hypothalamus GHRH, pituitary GH, and ovarian GHR. Above the bar no letter or the same letter mean no significant (P > 0.05), while with different letter mean significant difference (P < 0.05). In (A), N = 8, in (B–D), N = 4, bars represent the means ± standard deviation (SD). Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), Growth hormone (GH), Growth hormone receptor (GHR). The content of ovarian GHR in each group: 7.06 ± 0.79a, 7.67 ± 0.72ab, 8.50 ± 0.98b, 8.20 ± 1.03b, respectively, P = 0.03. In the same row, values with different small letter superscripts mean significant difference (P < 0.05).

Fig 3: Effects of zearalenone (ZEA) on the growth hormone receptor (GHR) localization in the uteri of post-weaning gilts. Control (A), ZEA0.5 (B), ZEA1.0 (C) and ZEA1.5 (D) represent the control diet with an addition of 0, 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mg/kg ZEA, and with analyzed ZEA concentrations of 0, 0.52±0.07, 1.04±0.03, and 1.51±0.13 mg/kg, respectively. The 1:40, 1:100, and 1:200 represent the view of the samples in 40, 100, and 200 times, respectively. The dotted line represents the thickness of myometrium, and the line represents the thickness of endometrial. The arrow represents the immunoreactivity of GHR. LE was luminal epithelium, G was uterine gland, M was myometrium, S was stromal cells, V was vessel, and LP was lamina propria.

Fig 4: Effects of ZEN on the relative expression level of hypothalamus GHRH gene (A), GHRHR (B) and GH gene (C) in the pituitary and GHR (D), JAK2 (E), and STAT3 genes (F) in the ovary of prepubertal gilts. The mRNA level of genes were determined by qRT-PCR. Bars represent the means ± standard deviation (SD) (n = 12). Above the bar no letter or the same letter mean no significant (P > 0.05), while with different letter mean significant difference (P < 0.05). Growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), Growth hormone-releasing hormone receptor (GHRHR), Growth hormone (GH), Growth hormone receptor (GHR), Janus activated kinase 2 (JAK2), Signal transducer and activator of transcriptions 3 (STAT3).

Fig 5: Regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis by GHR depends on IGF1. a The expression of genes involved in the GH-GHR-IGFs signaling pathway was measured by RT-qPCR at 48 h after co-transfection with si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and si-NC + pcDNA3.1. b and c MTG staining of CPM was measured at 48 h after transfection with co-transfection with si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and si-NC + pcDNA3.1. White arrow labeled elongated myoblasts. Scaler bar, 25 µm. d and e Confocal images were observed at 48 h after co-transfection with pMitoTimer + si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, + si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and + si-NC + pcDNA3.1. Scaler bar, 10 µm. Green represents newly synthesized mitochondria, red represents mature mitochondria. Images were analyzed by Leica LAS X life science software. f The expression of genes involved in PGC1a-NRF1-TFAM signaling pathway was measured by RT-qPCR at 48 h after co-transfection with si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and si-NC + pcDNA3.1. g The expression of mtDNA encoded genes was measured by RT-qPCR at 48 h after co-transfection with si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and si-NC + pcDNA3.1. h The relative mtDNA content was measured by RT-qPCR at 48 h after co-transfection with si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and si-NC + pcDNA3.1. i and j Western blots with anti-PGC1a, anti-NRF1 and anti-ß-actin at 48 h after co-transfection with si-GHR + pcDNA3.1-IGF1, si-GHR + pcDNA3.1 and si-NC + pcDNA3.1. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01