Characterization of the Th cytokines profile in ovine spleen during early pregnancy

Ning Li,Zimo Zhao,Jiachen Bai,Baoliang Liu,Hao Mi,Leying Zhang,Guiping Li,Ling Yang

doi:10.1080/09712119.2019.1634077

Ning Li, Zimo Zhao + Show 6 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2019.1634077

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Abstract

ABSTRACT The spleen combines the innate and adaptive immune systems, and the early conceptus must regulate the maternal intrauterine immune and systemic immune response during early pregnancy in sheep. However, it is unclear whether early pregnancy exerts its effects on the characterization of the T helper (Th) cytokines profile in the spleen during early pregnancy in ewes. In this study, spleens were obtained at day 16 of the oestrous cycle and at days 13, 16 and 25 of pregnancy (n = 6 for each group) from ewes, and qRT-PCR, western blot and immunohistochemistry analysis were used to analyze the Th cytokines profile of the spleens. Our results showed that there was down-regulation of IFN-γ at days 13 and 16 of pregnancy, but there was upregulation of IL-2, IL-5 and IL-6 at day 25 of pregnancy, TNF-β at days 16 and 25 of pregnancy, and IL-4 and IL-10 in all pregnant groups. Immunohistochemistry results showed that the IL-6 protein was limited to the capsule, trabeculae and splenic cords. This paper reported, for the first time, that characterization of the Th cytokines profile varied in the maternal spleen during early pregnancy, which may be essential for successful pregnancy in sheep.

Highlights

During pregnancy, there is an absence of any maternal immune response against the foetus and placenta, which is known as maternal immune tolerance (Williams 2012)
We revealed that IFN-γ is down-regulated, and IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-13 are upregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during early pregnancy in cattle (Yang et al 2016)
The size of the maternal spleen increases an average of 50% in late pregnancy in mice (Davis et al 1961), and the relative content of splenic macrophages increases two-fold during mid-pregnancy in mice (Mattsson et al 1984)

Summary

Introduction

There is an absence of any maternal immune response against the foetus and placenta, which is known as maternal immune tolerance (Williams 2012). We revealed that IFN-γ is down-regulated, and IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-13 are upregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) during early pregnancy in cattle (Yang et al 2016). There were a downregulation of TNF-β and IL-2 and an upregulation of IL-5 and IL-10 in the maternal lymph nodes during early pregnancy in sheep (Yang et al 2019). We recently reported that there are changes in the expression of the P4 receptor and P4induced blocking factor in the ovine spleen (Yang et al 2018a), which indicates that the early conceptus exerts its effects on the maternal spleen. The Th cytokines play an important role in the immune system It has been unclear whether early pregnancy exerts its effects on the characterization of the Th cytokines profile in the ovine spleen. In understanding the effects of early pregnancy on maternal splenic immunomodulation in sheep

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