Effects of Dexamethasone on Trophoblastic, IDO, and Macrophage Cells in Domestic Pregnant Rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus)

Abstract

The healthy pregnancy requires a healthy fetal-maternal placental development that depends not only on invasion of fetal trophoblast but also on the presence of immune cells, such as macrophages. Dexamethasone (DEX) is used to treat several diseases, but exceed exposure to exogenous DEX may impair placental and fetal development and subsequent fetal loss. The current study investigates the effects of high dose of DEX (HD) (1.125 mg) and low dose of DEX (LD) (0.562 mg) on trophoblastic (T), IDO, andCD68 macrophage (M) cells in domestic pregnant rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Forty-eight pregnant does were caged in the animal house and divided into six groups, eight for each. These groups are treated as follows: groups A and B (as an experimental groups) were daily injected by (1ml) from day 5 to 9 of gestation (dG) with HD and LD, respectively; whereas group C was injected by (1 ml) of sodium chloride (0.9%) (as a control group). Then, all the groups (A, B and C) were dissected at 10 and 28 dG.