RESUMO
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the expression and localisation of fol-licle stimulating hormone receptor/growth hormone receptor/luteinising hormone receptor (FSHR/GHR/LHR) in different tissues and examine the regulatory effects of FSHR/GHR/LHR in the reproductive organs of female yaks during luteal phase. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry assays were utilised to analyse the expression and localisation of FSHR/GHR/LHR in different tissues on female yaks. RESULTS: The qRT-PCR results showed that the mRNA expressions of FSHR/GHR/ /LHR were significantly different in the non-reproductive organs (p < 0.01); the highest expression level was observed in the kidney, cerebellum and lung, whereas the lower expression level was observed in the liver and spleen. Im-munohistochemistry assay results showed that FSHR/GHR/LHR were located in kidney tubules, Purkinje cells, cerebellar medulla, alveolar cells and hepato-cytes. In addition, the expression levels of FSHR and GHR were considerably higher than LHR in the reproductive organs of female yaks during luteal phase (p < 0.01). FSHR/GHR/LHR were located in cardiac muscle cells, cerebellar medulla, and theca cell lining of reproductive organs. Furthermore, the expression level of FSHR was higher than those of GHR and LHR in all examined tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the expression and localisation of FSHR/GHR/LHR possibly helped to evaluate the effects of them in tissue specific expression on female yaks, investigate the function and mechanism of FSHR/GHR/LHR in the reproductive organs of female yaks during luteal phase. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 2: 301-309).