The in situ expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) mRNA at the maternal-fetal interface.
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is produced by cells in the placenta, is known to be a growth factor for trophoblast cells in vitro and when injected into pregnant mice at risk for mid-gestation fetal resorption, dramatically lowers the fetal death rate while stimulating placental and fetal growth. We describe here the localization of GM-CSF mRNA expression in murine placenta by in situ hybridization. It is found in small round cells (lymphoid-like) and endothelial cells in the maternal decidua. In addition, GM-CSF transcripts are located in cells of the spongiotrophoblast zone (trophoblast-like cells), but not in the labyrinthine zone. These results indicate that GM-CSF may be influencing the growth and function of the fetal placenta in a paracrine-autocrine manner. These results support earlier observations that link GM-CSF production during pregnancy to decidual T-lymphocytes and further suggest a placental source within the invasive trophoblast.
Kanzaki
H
H
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Crainie
M
M
Lin
H
H
Yui
J
J
Guilbert
L J
LJ
Mori
T
T
Wegmann
T G
TG
D000818:Animals; D003656:Decidua / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000378:metabolism
D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor