title: Expression of macrophage colony-stimulating factor, scavenger receptors, and macrophage proliferation in the pregnant mouse uterus.
abstract: During pregnancy, mouse uterine epithelial cells produce and secrete a large amount of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF/CSF-1). Macrophages accumulate and proliferate in the undecidualized endometrium of the pregnant uterus. Observations showed that macrophages expressed scavenger receptor class A (type I and type II) and class C (macrosialin). Scavenger receptors appeared to be involved in the removal of apoptotic cells in the degenerated decidual tissue. The expression of class A and class C scavenger receptor mRNAs in the uterus of pregnant mice was elevated but the expression of class B scavenger receptor (CD36) mRNA was similar to that of non-pregnant mice. The expression of various cytokines and chemokines, including M-CSF, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein 1-alpha (MIP1-alpha), was enhanced in the uterus of pregnant mice, suggesting that these molecules regulate macrophage chemotaxis and immunological function in the uterus. These findings imply that the pregnant uterus provides a microenvironment for the recruitment, differentiation, and proliferation of macrophages and the regulation of scavenger receptor and cytokine expression for a successful pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Pathology, Niigata University School of Medicine, Japan. 2byori@med.niigata-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kyaw
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hasegawa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takatsuka
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shimada-Hiratsuka
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umezu
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D018955:CD36 Antigens; D002455:Cell Division; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics; D054405:Chemokine CCL3; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D019402:Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology*; D008565:Membrane Proteins; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011247:Pregnancy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000235:genetics*; D018110:Receptors, Lipoprotein; D051116:Receptors, Scavenger; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051117:Scavenger Receptors, Class A; D051122:Scavenger Receptors, Class B; D051124:Scavenger Receptors, Class C; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*