title: Effects of steroid hormones and immunosuppressant drugs on defences against uterine microbial contamination in the rat.
abstract: This study used rats as a mammalian model to investigate the effects of steroid hormones and immunosuppressant drugs on uterine microflora. It was shown that prednisolone acetate predisposed to uterine contamination unlike oestradiol, ciclosporin and cyclophosphamide. It therefore appears that the leucocyte component of the immune system does not normally play a role in preventing bacterial colonization of the uterus and that prednisolone is producing its effect via some other mechanism, possibly an effect on cervical mucus.
authors.affiliation: School of Pharmacy, University of Otago, Wellington, New Zealand.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Gard
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Fawcett
authors.forename: K P
authors.initials: KP
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Neale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003520:Cyclophosphamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D016572:Cyclosporine / Q000494:pharmacology; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007958:Leukocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D004958:Estradiol; D016572:Cyclosporine; C009935:prednisolone acetate; D003520:Cyclophosphamide; D011239:Prednisolone