Mice deficient in surfactant protein A (SP-A) and SP-D or in TLR2 manifest delayed parturition and decreased expression of inflammatory and contractile genes

Alina P. Montalbano, Samuel Hawgood, Carole R. Mendelson

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

70 Scopus citations

Abstract

Previously we obtained compelling evidence that the fetus provides a critical signal for the initiation of term labor through developmental induction of surfactant protein (SP)-A expression by the fetal lung and secretion into amniotic fluid (AF). We proposed that interactions of AF macrophage(Mφ) Toll-like receptors (TLRs) with SP-A, at term, or bacterial components, at preterm, result in their activation and migration to the pregnant uterus. Herein the timing of labor in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice was compared with mice homozygous null for TLR2, SP-A, SP-D, or doubly deficient in SP-A and SP-D. Interestingly, TLR2-/- females manifested a significant (P<0.001) delay in timing of labor compared with WT as well as reduced expression of the myometrial contraction-associated protein (CAP) gene, connexin-43, and Mφ marker, F4/80, at 18.5 d postcoitum (dpc). Whereas in first pregnancies, SP-A-/-, SP-D-/-, and SP-A/D-/- females delivered at term (∼19.5 dpc), in second pregnancies, parturition was delayed by approximately 12 h in SP-A-/- (P = 0.07) and in SP-A/D-/- (P <0.001) females. Myometrium of SP-A/D-/- females expressed significantly lower levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and CAP genes, connexin-43, and oxytocin receptor at 18.5 dpc compared with WT. F4/80 + AF Mφs from TLR2-/- and SP-A/D-/- mice expressed significantly lower levels of both proinflammatory and antiinflammatory activation markers (e.g. IL-1β, IL-6, ARG1, YM1) compared with gestation-matched WT AF Mφs. These novel findings suggest that the pulmonary collectins acting via TLR2 serve a modulatory role in the timing of labor; their relative impact may be dependent on parity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)483-498
Number of pages16
JournalEndocrinology
Volume154
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2013

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Endocrinology

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