Pregnancy in sheep is associated with changes in numbers of specific T-lymp
hocyte populations in the uterine endometrium. These changes probably contr
ibute to evasion by the conceptus of maternal immunological rejection and i
ndicate a possible role for T cells in placental growth, parturition and po
st-parturient uterine defence against infection. The purpose of the present
experiment was to evaluate the relative importance of systemic signals (i.
e. those present throughout the uterus or from the circulation, including c
onceptus hormones secreted into the maternal blood) versus locally acting c
onceptus signals for regulating changes in numbers of endometrial lymphocyt
es during pregnancy. The approach taken was to surgically confine pregnancy
to one uterine horn and compare differences in lymphocyte numbers between
the two uterine horns as well as between both horns of pregnant ewes with t
hose of ovariectomized ewes. As compared with ovariectomized ewes, there wa
s a decline in numbers of CD45R(+) lymphocytes within glandular epithelium
and an increase in gamma delta T-cell number within the luminal epithelium.
These changes occurred in both the pregnant and non-pregnant uterine horns
of unilaterally pregnant ewes. Moreover, there were no significant differe
nces in lymphocyte: numbers between the two uterine horns of unilaterally p
regnant ewes. Expression of CD25 was absent in tissues from both uterine ho
rns. In conclusion, changes in numbers of endometrial lymphocytes during pr
egnancy, rather than due to locally acting signals of conceptus origin, are
the result of hormonal signals of maternal or conceptus origin that either
act directly on endometrial lymphocytes or stimulate the uterine endometri
um to induce synthesis of regulatory molecules that affect lymphocyte dynam
ics.