Mifepristone as an anti-implantation contraceptive drug: roles in regulation of uterine natural killer cells during implantation phase.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the immunological mechanism of low-dose mifepristone acting as a contraceptive at the level of the endometrium.


METHODS
Endometrial explants were cultured in vitro with or without mifepristone treatment for 24 hr. Some tissues were fixed and immunostained for CD56, while other tissues were dissociated and cells analysed by three colour flow cytometry for CD3, CD56 and CD16.


CONCLUSIONS
Results showed a significant increase in the number of CD56(+) natural killer (NK) cells and the percentages of CD3(-) CD56(+) CD16(-) NK cell subset in the tissue treated with mifepristone, while the percentage of CD3(-) CD56(+) CD16(+) NK cell subset remained unaffected. It shows that low-dose mifepristone increases the number of CD56(+) NK cells and the percentage of CD3(-) CD56(+) CD16(-) NK subset in receptive endometrium and provides new insights into the immunological mechanism of low-dose mifepristone as an anti-implantation contraceptive drug.
Zhu
Hong-Xia
HX
Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Zhang
Wu-Wen
WW
Zhuang
Ya-Ling
YL
Huang
Li-Li
LL
D000328:Adult; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003270:Contraceptive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D015735:Mifepristone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*
D019002:CD56 Antigen; D003270:Contraceptive Agents; D015735:Mifepristone