title: Uterine epithelial cells synthesize granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-6 in pregnant and nonpregnant mice.
abstract: Cytokine secretion by endometrial cells from estrous and mated mice was measured using specific bioassays. The granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) contents of uterine intraluminal fluid were elevated greater than 20-fold and 250-fold respectively following mating, and both cytokines were synthesized in abundance in vitro by uterine cells harvested at estrus and on Day 1 of pregnancy. Synthesis was not impaired in genetically lymphocyte-deficient nude, SCID, or beige mice. To determine the cellular origin of the cytokines, a panning technique employing monoclonal antibodies against a range of leukocyte and other lineage markers was used to isolate uterine cell subsets in vitro. These experiments identified glandular and/or luminal epithelial cells as the major source of GM-CSF and IL-6 in estrous and pregnant uteri. Stromal fibroblasts also synthesized IL-6, as did macrophages in mated mice. Epithelial cells harvested from midgestation uteri secreted GM-CSF and IL-6 in quantities similar to those of cells from estrous and mated mice. Bioactivities of both cytokines derived from epithelial cells were neutralized by specific antibodies, and size-exclusion chromatography of conditioned media from uterine cells revealed peaks of GM-CSF and IL-6 bioactivity with M(r) 23,000 and 23,000-26,000, respectively. Bioassay of luminal fluids and culture supernatants were negative for the cytokines interleukin-1, interleukin-2, interleukin-3, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. These studies identify murine uterine epithelium as a potent source of the cytokines GM-CSF and IL-6, which we postulate have potentially important functions in pregnancy through actions on target cells in both the uterus and the conceptus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mayrhofer
authors.forename: R F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Seamark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008819:Mice, Nude; D016513:Mice, SCID; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor