PRODUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-1, INTERLEUKIN-6, AND TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA IN THE UTERUS OF PSEUDOPREGNANT MICE

Pseudopregnant mice were produced by mating normal cycling females with a vasectomized male. Interleukin-I (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) mRNA and bioactivity were detected between Days 1 and 8 in untreated pseudopregnant mice and during oil-induced decidualization. High concentrations of IL-1, IL-6, and TNFalpha mRNA and bioactivity were detected in the uterus within 12 h after mating, and both mRNA and bioactivity decreased progressively through Day 3. Peaks of IL-1, IL-6, and TNFalpha bioactivity were detected between Days 4 and 8. Oil-induced decidualization was associated with increased and prolonged production of IL-1 and IL-6 and decreased production of TNFalpha relative to these values in uninjected controls. The dynamics of cytokine production in pseudopregnant mice were similar to those previously observed in pregnant mice.