EFFECT OF CYTOKINES ON PROLACTIN PRODUCTION BY HUMAN DECIDUAL STROMALCELLS IN CULTURE - STUDIES USING CELLS FREED OF BONE-MARROW-DERIVED CONTAMINANTS - COMMENT

Human decidua contains resident decidual cells alongside a population of bone marrow-derived cells, among which macrophages and large granul ar lymphocytes are most abundant. We hypothesized that soluble effecte rs produced by bone marrow-derived cells may modulate the function of the decidual cells. To investigate this, a cell purification protocol was devised that involved digestion of first-trimester decidua with co llagenase and hyaluronidase to produce a mixed stromal cell suspension from which the bone marrow-derived cells were removed using immunomag netic beads coated with anti-CD45. The resulting stromal cells were ma intained in culture in the presence of progesterone and were found to produce PRL. The effect of a panel of cytokines on PRL production was examined. Tumor necrosis factors-alpha and -beta had a dose-dependent inhibitory effect, and tumor necrosis factor receptors were identified on the cells. Interleukin 1 alpha and 1 beta, platelet-derived growth factor, and transforming growth factor-pi were also found to inhibit PRL production, and platelet-derived growth factor and transforming gr owth factor-pi stimulated cell proliferation. These findings suggest a n interaction between the immune and endocrine systems in regulating t he maternal environment of early pregnancy.