title: The immunoprotective role of interleukin-10 in abnormal pregnancy outcome induced by Toxoplasma gondii infection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the immunoprotective effect of IL-10 on pregnancy in Toxoplasma gondii-infected C57BL/6 mice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four pregnant mice were randomly divided into 3 equal groups, i.e. a control group (CG), an infected group (IG) and an infected group treated with IL-10 (IPTG). Each IPTG and IG mouse was infected with 400 T. gondii trophozoites on gestational day (GD) 8. Each IPTG mouse was injected with 1 μg recombinant mouse IL-10 via a tail vein on GD 10 and 12. The mice were sacrificed on day 7 postinfection. Qa-1 and NKG2A were analyzed in the placenta by flow cytometry and real-time PCR. IL-4, IL-10 and IFN-γ in the placenta supernatant were analyzed by ELISA. Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IPTG mice showed a better mental state, had larger fetuses and placentas with a better blood supply and a lower resorption ratio compared to IG mice. NKG2A and Qa-1 were significantly increased in IPTG mice compared to IG mice (p < 0.05). IL-4 and IL-10 in IPTG placenta supernatant were increased (p < 0.05), but IFN-γ was decreased (p < 0.05) compared to IG placenta supernatant. The ratios of IFN-γ/IL-4 and IFN-γ/IL-10 were decreased in IPTG mice compared to IG mice (p < 0.05, p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  IL-10 plays an immunoprotective role and improves the pregnancy outcome of T. gondii-infected mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Binzhou Medical College, 346 Guan-hai Road, Lai-shan, Yantai, PR China.
authors.forename: Ruijin
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Haixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xianbing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Xiaoyan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000737:chemistry; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015870:Gene Expression; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014122:Toxoplasma / Q000472:pathogenicity; D014123:Toxoplasmosis / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D017931:DNA Primers; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; C527057:Klrc1 protein, mouse; D055654:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily C; C032907:Q surface antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10