Ovary

Cooperative Expression of Monocyte Chemoattractant Protein 1 Within the Bovine Corpus Luteum: Evidence of Immune Cell-Endothelial Cell Interactions in a Co-Culture System

Abstract
Endothelial cells (EC) of the bovine corpus luteum (CL) are a known source of proinflammatory mediators, including monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (CCL2) and endothelin 1 (EDN1). Here, a co-culture system was devised to determine if immune cells and PGF₂ together affect CCL2 and EDN1 secretion by EC. Luteal EC were cultured either alone or together with peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and treated without or with PGF₂ for 48 hr (n = 6 experiments). Co-culture of EC with PBMC increased CCL2 secretion an average of 5-fold higher compared to either cell type alone (p<0.05). Basal secretion of EDN1 by EC was substantial (~2 ng/ml), but was not affected by co-culture with PBMC (p>0.05). EC co-cultured with concanavalin A-activated PBMC (ActPBMC) increased CCL2 secretion an average of 12-fold higher compared to controls (p<0.05), but again EDN1 secretion was unchanged (p>0.05). Interestingly, PGF₂ did not alter either CCL2 or EDN1 secretion, regardless of culture conditions (p>0.05). In a second series of experiments (n = 3 experiments), mixed luteal cells (MLC) were cultured alone or with PBMC as described above. Secretion of CCL2 and EDN1 was not affected by co-culture or by PGF₂ (p>0.05), but MLC produced less progesterone in the presence of ActPBMC (p<0.05). Collectively, these results suggest that immune cells and EC can interact cooperatively to increase CCL2 secretion in the CL, but this interaction does not affect EDN1 secretion nor is it influenced by PGF₂. Additionaly, activated immune cells appear to produce a factor that impairs progesterone production by luteal steroidogenic cells.

Key words: Immunology • Corpus luteum • Corpus luteum function • Cytokines • Progesterone

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