title: Natural cytotoxic and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic activity of cells in the decidua basales and metrial glands of pseudopregnant rats with deciduomata.
abstract: Cytotoxic cells are present in the uterine wall of pregnant rats. To determine if the cytotoxic activity arises in response to semen or the products of conception, the profile of cytotoxic activity in deciduomata of pseudopregnant rats was examined. To examine NK activity, Yac-1 cells were used as targets in chromium release cytotoxicity assays and an antibody to Yac-1 cells was included in some assays to determine antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxic (ADCC) activity. Cells from the metrial glands and deciduae of deciduomata of rats at days 10 and 13 of pseudopregnancy did not show NK activity but ADCC activity was present. To examine natural cytotoxic (NC) activity, Wehi 164 cells were used as targets in chromium release cytotoxicity assays. Cells isolated from the metrial glands and deciduae of rats at day 10 of pseudopregnancy were able to kill Wehi 164 cells after 21 h assays, thus demonstrating NC activity. The profile of cytotoxic activity in the uterine wall of pseudopregnant rats with deciduomata is similar to that found in pregnancy and is thus independent of semen or the products of conception.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, University of Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Peel
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Stewart
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology; D008791:Metrial Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011555:Pseudopregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured