title: Phosphatidylserine- and integrin-mediated phagocytosis of apoptotic luteal cells by macrophages of the rat.
abstract: Corpora lutea disappear from ovaries in the absence of conception. The present study was undertaken to examine the hypothesis that disappearance of corpora lutea is accomplished through apoptosis-dependent phagocytosis of luteal cells. When bone marrow cells expressing green fluorescence protein were transplanted into X-ray-irradiated mice, macrophages derived from donor mice were detected within corpora lutea, suggesting macrophage infiltration into the tissue. Dispersed rat luteal cells underwent spontaneous apoptosis during culture and were phagocytosed by luteal macrophages. Treatment with doxorubicin increased the extent of apoptosis in luteal cells, and those cells were more efficiently phagocytosed than cells left untreated. The phagocytosis was inhibited by liposomes containing phosphatidylserine or a peptide containing the integrin-targeted sequence, and was stimulated by milk fat globule epidermal growth factor 8. These results collectively indicate that apoptotic luteal cells are phagocytosed by macrophages in a manner mediated by phosphatidylserine and integrin.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Natural Science and Technology, Kanazawa University, Ishikawa 920-1192, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shiratsuchi
authors.forename: Kaz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagaosa
authors.forename: Yoshinobu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nakanishi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D015153:Blotting, Western; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D016023:Integrins / Q000378:metabolism; D008081:Liposomes / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008894:Milk Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D010718:Phosphatidylserines / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D016023:Integrins; D008081:Liposomes; D008894:Milk Proteins; D010718:Phosphatidylserines; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D004317:Doxorubicin