title: IFN-gamma promotes apoptosis of the uterus and placenta in pregnant rat and human cytotrophoblast cells.
abstract: Growth and development of placentas in all pregnancy periods and that of fetuses in late pregnancy were inhibited after administration of interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Apoptosis can be detected by TUNEL at the maternal-fetal interface during normal rat pregnancy. Apoptosis locations at the maternal-fetal interface changed according to the period of pregnancy. The results of immunohistochemistry and the DNA ladder assay showed that IFN-gamma could promote the apoptosis levels during the entire pregnancy, but it did not change the apoptosis locations. IFN regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), FasL, and p53 expressions were modulated by IFN-gamma during the entire pregnancy. In vitro cell proliferation assay indicated that IFN-gamma could inhibit proliferation of human cytotrophoblast cells, and flow assay showed that this effect was mainly due to apoptosis induction. TUNEL and Hoechst staining also showed that IFN-gamma could induce apoptosis of human cytotrophoblast cells. Expression of IRF-1 was induced and expression of active caspase-3 was promoted by IFN-gamma treatment, but IFN-gamma did not affect the expression of IFNGR and p53.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Quan-Hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jing-Pian
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Hong-Fei
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma