title: Progesterone is involved in the maturation of murine spleen CD11c-positive dendritic cells.
abstract: Progesterone (Prog), a female sex steroid hormone, not only plays an important role in the female mammary pregnancy but also influences the immune response. In the present study, murine spleen CD11c-positive dendritic cells (SDCs) were treated with various concentrations of Prog for 24 h, and their viability, phenotype, nuclear factor kappa B P65 (NF-kappaB P65), endocytosis, stimulatory capacity, and cytokine expression were analyzed. The results showed that Prog increased the expressions of MHC-II and CD40, stimulatory capacity and intracellular levels of IL-6 and IL-10, while decreased the expressions of CD54 and IL-12, endocytosis and nuclear level of NF-kappaB P65 of SDCs. These data suggested that Prog may promote the maturation of SDCs and enhance their ability to interact with T cells so as to change the course of autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Immunology and Reproductive Biology Laboratory, Medical School and State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, PR China.
authors.forename: Linsong
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Xiaoxi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Junli
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yayi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D039521:CD11c Antigen / Q000276:immunology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D004705:Endocytosis; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011374:Progesterone / Q000502:physiology*; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D039521:CD11c Antigen; D011374:Progesterone