Expression and regulation of chemokine genes in the mouse uterus during pregnancy

Leukocytes accumulate in the pregnant mouse uterus following mating, during implantation and during placental development. Changes in leukocyte number are primarily due to recruitment from the blood, not local proliferation, but the underlying recruitment mechanisms are poorly understood. Mating-ind uced granulocyte and macrophage recruitment is due in part to pro-inflammat ory and chemotactic factors present in seminal plasma. Accumulation of macr ophages later in pregnancy appears to be caused in part by ovarian hormone- stimulated CSF-1 production and in part by other as yet unidentified uterin e chemotactic factors. The current study was performed to assess chemokine production in the uterus during pregnancy. Northern blotting was used to de monstrate NSI/KC (KC), macrophage chemotactic protein-1 (MCP-1), macrophage inflammatory protein one alpha (MIP1 alpha) and regulated inactivation, no rmal T expressed and secreted protein (RANTES) mRNA in the uterus, Oestroge n and progesterone induced intrauterine production of all four chemokines a nd may have done so through the autocrine/ paracrine activities of IL-1. Th e data suggest that C-C chemokines play a role in accumulation of macrophag es in the uterus during pregnancy. (C) 1999 Academic Press.