title: Species differences in the effect of pregnancy on lymphocyte cytokine production between human and rat.
abstract: In the present study, we evaluated whether lymphocyte cytokine production during human and rat pregnancy shifts toward T helper cell type 2 (Th2) cytokine production. Therefore, blood samples were taken during the follicular and luteal phase and during pregnancy in rats and humans. Whole blood was ex vivo-stimulated with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and calcium ionophore and intracellular interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and interleukin (IL)-4 production, and the percentage of cells in the various lymphocyte populations was measured using flow cytometry. Rats and humans adapted their immune responses to pregnancy but have different strategies: During human pregnancy, the percentage of lymphocytes producing IFN-gamma was decreased, and the percentage IL-4-producing lymphocytes was not affected. The rat adapts its immune response to pregnancy by decreasing the total number of the various lymphocyte populations, and the percentage of IFN-gamma- or IL-4-producing lymphocytes was not affected or increased (% IFN-gamma-producing cytotoxic lymphocytes). It is speculated that during rat pregnancy, there is no need to decrease the number of IFN-gamma-producing lymphocytes, as in nonpregnant rats, the total number of IFN-gamma-producing lymphocytes after stimulation is relatively low, and there is no necessity for a further decrease. In nonpregnant humans, the percentage IFN-gamma-producing lymphocytes is much higher and probably dangerous for pregnancy, and therefore, this percentage needs to decrease during pregnancy. In conclusion, although the data from humans concur with the Th1/Th2 paradigm, the data from rats do not concur with this paradigm. The present studies therefore challenge the classical Th1/Th2 paradigm during pregnancy.
authors: Division of Medical Biology, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University Medical Centre Groningen, Hanzeplein 1, 9713 GZ Groningen, The Netherlands. m.m.faas@med.umcg.nl
authors: Marijke M
authors: MM
authors: Faas
authors: Annechien
authors: A
authors: Bouman
authors: Angelique L
authors: AL
authors: Veenstra van Nieuwenhoven
authors: Gerda
authors: G
authors: van der Schaaf
authors: Henk
authors: H
authors: Moes
authors: Maas Jan
authors: MJ
authors: Heineman
authors: Paul
authors: P
authors: de Vos
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002118:Calcium / Q000494:pharmacology; D002452:Cell Count; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000276:immunology*; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013045:Species Specificity; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007476:Ionophores; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate; D002118:Calcium