N. Laham et al., LABOR-ASSOCIATED INCREASE IN INTERLEUKIN-1-ALPHA RELEASE IN-VITRO BY HUMAN GESTATIONAL TISSUES, Journal of Endocrinology, 150(3), 1996, pp. 515-522
The aims of this study were to investigate the concentration and relea
se of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) at the time of human term labou
r, and to study the regulation of IL-1 alpha release from human gestat
ional tissue explants by bacterial endotoxin. Immunoreactive IL-1 alph
a concentrations in maternal plasma, amniotic fluid and conditioned me
dia from human amniotic, choriodecidual and placental explants were qu
antified before and after spontaneous term labour-onset and delivery.
Furthermore, the effects of a bacterial endotoxin, Lipopolysaccharide
(LPS), on the release of IL-1 alpha horn human gestational tissue expl
ants over a time course of 24 h (n=3) and LPS concentrations ranging f
rom 10-10(7) pg/ml (n=3) were investigated. IL-1 alpha concentrations
in material plasma and amniotic fluid did not change significantly wit
h spontaneous term labour-onset. III contrast, IL-1 alpha was released
in detectable amounts from human amniotic and choriodecidual explants
only in association with term labour-onset and delivery, Similarly, p
lacental release of IL-1 alpha was increased significantly in explant
cultures in association with term labour,onset and delivery, LPS incre
ased IL-1 alpha. release significantly only front human placental expl
ants from both term not-in-labour and term after-labour tissues. The d
ata demonstrate differential regulation of IL-1 alpha. release from hu
man gestational tissues in association with labour and LPS treatment a
nd the observations support the hypothesis that the labour-associated
increase in IL-1 alpha release hom the fetal membranes is independent
of exposure to bacterial endotoxin.