| Transient maternal lymphocytes are recruited to conceptus-attachment sites early in porcine gestation. Analogous cells in humans and mice sensitize maternal uterine arteries permitting pregnancy-induced enlargement of vessels supplying the placenta. My hypothesis was that porcine uterine lymphocytes regulate maternal conceptus support. Endometria collected from selected sites in non-pregnant, gestation day (gd) 15, 19 and 23 Yorkshire gilts, were quantified for relative mRNA expression of VEGF, HIF-1alpha, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha by real time PCR. At gd 19, transcript levels were compared from regions of endometrium. At gd 23, transcript levels were compared in mesometrium associated with littermates visually distinguishable as healthy or arrested. Transcript levels were compared in endometrial lymphocytes isolated by laser capture microdissection. LCM isolated porcine endometrial lymphocytes of early pregnancy produce angiogenic and immunomodulatory transcripts. Endometrial lymphocytes produce increasing levels of VEGF transcript, HIF-1alpha transcript only at gd 23, stable amounts of IFN-gamma transcript, and no TNF-alpha. |
