Abstract

We examined C3H pregnant mice at 15 days (70% gestation) after treatment of lipopolysaccaride (LPS) to observe the changes of IL-6 concentration in maternal serum and amniotic fluid and expression of IL-6, IL-13 & TIMP-3 in placenta, fetus and endometrium, and to investigate the correlation among IL-6, IL-13 and TIMP-3. The results were as follows: 1) IL-6 in serum and amniotic fluid after treatment of LPS was significantly elevated; peaked at 1, 2, 4, 5 hours and decreased to control level at 8 hours (P<0.05). IL-6 in placental disc, chorioamnionic membrane, fetus, decidua and endometrial epithelium was overexpressed significantly at 1, 2, 4 hours after treatment of LPS (P<0.05). IL-6 overexpression was more significantly increased in maternal tissue than fetal tissue (P<0.05). 2) Increased concentration of amniotic fluid IL-6 was equally originated from transplacental crossage of maternal serum IL-6, and direct local production of IL-6 from placenta, fetus and endometrium (P<0.05). 3) IL-13 in placental disc, chorioamnionic membrane, fetus, decidua and endometrial epithelium was overexpressed after treatment of LPS, but not significant statistically. 4) TIMP-3 was overexpressed in placental disc, chorioamnionic membrane, fetus and decidua. TIMP-3 overexpression was more significant in placental disc than other tissues (P<0.05). 5) Overexpressions in IL-13 and IL-6 revealed direct proportional correlation coefficient (Spearman correlation coefficient, 0.5212 ; P<0.05). IL-6 expression was a head of overexpression of TIMP-3, but not significant. In conclusion, all of IL-6, IL-13 and TIMP-3 relate with inflammatory response, especially IL-6 in maternal serum, amniotic fluid and tissue of placenta, fetus and endometrium was so sensitive that it can be an indicator for antenatal diagnosis of chorioamnonitis, and amniotic fluid IL-6 is equally originated from maternal serum and from tissue of placenta, fetus and endometrium. IL-13 and TIMP-3 may have parallel correlation to the IL-6 in fetal and maternal tissue after treatment of LPS.

• Keywords: Placenta;Mouse;IL-6;IL-13;TIMP-3