Differential effects of IL-11 on rat blastocysts and decidua during the peri-implantation period.
OBJECTIVE
To study effects of interleukin-11 (IL-11) on blastocyst development and decidualization.


METHODS
Rats, injected with buffer (C) or IL-11 [1 mg/kg/day = high dose (HD), 60 microg/kg/week = low dose (LD)-1, 30 microg/kg twice a week = low dose (LD)-2] were made pregnant or pseudopregnant to obtain blastocysts or deciduomata.


RESULTS
As compared with C, more LD-2 blastocysts hatched in culture, while hatching and attachment of HD blastocysts was decreased. Blastocysts from untreated rats in IL-11 supplemented medium (4 ng/mL) demonstrated increased hatching and attachment. The weight of the decidualized uterus in HD and LD-2 pseudopregnant rats was reduced as compared with C and LD- 1. On deciduomata sections from IL-11 treated rats, the area inside the uterine muscle layer was reduced, and mitotic over pycnotic indices were increased in the anti-mesometrial area and decreased in the mesometrial area.


CONCLUSIONS
Low doses of IL-11 improve hatching and attachment of blastocysts, but both high and low doses impair decidualization.
Caluwaerts
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium. silvia.caluwaerts@med.kuleuven.ac.be
Pijnenborg
R
R
Luyten
C
C
Keith
J C
JC
Van Assche
F A
FA
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D003656:Decidua / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D033301:Deciduoma / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D003893:Desmin / Q000378:metabolism; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D017370:Interleukin-11 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008938:Mitosis; D011247:Pregnancy; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D003893:Desmin; D017370:Interleukin-11; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen