Contractile activity of human decidual stromal cells. II. Effect of interleukin-10.
BACKGROUND
Human decidual stromal cells (DSC) are myofibroblast-like cells that express alpha-smooth muscle (alpha-SM) actin, a protein associated with cell contractility. Several lines of experimental evidence in humans and mice show that antiinflammatory cytokines favor normal pregnancy, whereas Th1 and inflammatory cytokines play a role in abortion. We previously demonstrated that IL-2, a Th1 cytokine, increased the contractility of human DSC.


OBJECTIVE
We studied the effect of the antiinflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-4 on the contractility of DSC from first-trimester pregnancy.


METHODS
We studied 10 healthy women who underwent elective vaginal termination of first-trimester pregnancy at Clínica El Sur, Málaga, and Clínica Ginegranada, Granada.


METHODS
After isolation of DSC, cell contractility was measured with the collagen gel contraction assay. alpha-SM actin was detected with Western blotting and immunofluorescence.


RESULTS
We found that IL-10, but not IL-4, increased the volume of the collagen gel matrixes in which the cytokine-treated DSC were cultured, showing that IL-10 decreased DSC contractility. By Western blotting we demonstrated that this effect was not related to an alteration in the synthesis of alpha-SM actin. Nevertheless, we observed by immunofluorescence microscopy that DSC treated with IL-10 exhibited stress fibers with a lower content of alpha-SM actin than untreated control DSC.


CONCLUSIONS
IL-10 relaxes DSC by reducing the incorporation of alpha-SM actin into their stress fibers. This relaxing activity may be of relevance for the maintenance of pregnancy.
Kimatrai
Maria
M
Unidad de Inmunología, Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Granada, 18012 Granada, Spain.
Blanco
Osmany
O
Muñoz-Fernández
Raquel
R
Tirado
Irene
I
Martin
Francisco
F
Abadía-Molina
Ana Clara
AC
Olivares
Enrique G
EG
D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003656:Decidua / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology
D000199:Actins; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4