M1/M2 Macrophage Polarity in Normal and Complicated Pregnancy

Tissue macrophages play an important role in all stages of pregnancy, including uterine stromal remodeling (decidualization) before embryo implantation, parturition, and postpartum uterine involution. The activation state and function of utero-placental macrophages are largely dependent on the local tissue microenvironment. Thus, macrophages are involved in a variety of activities such as regulation of immune cell activities, placental cell invasion, angiogenesis, and tissue remodeling. Disruption of the uterine microenvironment, particularly during the early stages of pregnancy (decidualization, implantation, and placentation) can have profound effects on macrophage activity and subsequently impact pregnancy outcome. In this review, we will provide an overview of the temporal and spatial regulation of utero-placental macrophage activation during normal pregnancy in humans and rodents with a focus on more recent findings. We will also discuss the role of M1/M2 dysregulation within the intrauterine environment during adverse pregnancy outcomes

Effects of zinc on leaf decomposition by fungi in streams : studies in microcosms

The effect of zinc on leaf decomposition by aquatic fungi was studied in microcosms. Alder leaf disks were precolonized for 15 days at the source of the Este River, and exposed to different zinc concentrations during 25 days. Leaf mass loss, fungal biomass (based on ergosterol concentration), fungal production (rates of [1-14C]acetate incorporation into ergosterol), sporulation rates and species richness of aquatic hyphomycetes were determined. At the source of the Este River decomposition of alder leaves was fast and 50% of the initial mass was lost in 25 days. A total of 18 aquatic hyphomycete species were recorded during 42 days of leaf immersion. Articulospora tetracladia was the dominant species, followed by Lunulospora curvula and two unidentified species with sigmoid conidia. Cluster analysis suggested that zinc concentration and exposure time affected the structure of aquatic hyphomycete assemblages, even though richness had not been severely affected. Both zinc concentration and exposure time significantly affected leaf mass loss, fungal production and sporulation, but not fungal biomass. Zinc exposure reduced leaf mass loss, inhibited fungal production and affected fungal reproduction by either stimulating or inhibiting sporulation rates. The results of this work suggested zinc pollution might depress leaf decomposition in streams due to changes in the structure and activity of aquatic fungi.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) – Programa Operacional “Ciência, Tecnologia, Inovação” (POCTI) - POCTI/34024/BSE/2000

Host Genetic Background Impacts Disease Outcome During Intrauterine Infection with <em>Ureaplasma parvum</em>

<div><p><em>Ureaplasma parvum,</em> an opportunistic pathogen of the human urogenital tract, has been implicated in contributing to chorioamnionitis, fetal morbidity, and fetal mortality. It has been proposed that the host genetic background is a critical factor in adverse pregnancy outcome as sequela to <em>U. parvum</em> intra-amniotic infection. To test this hypothesis we assessed the impact of intrauterine <em>U. parvum</em> infection in the prototypical TH1/M1 C57BL/6 and TH2/M2 BALB/c mouse strain. Sterile medium or <em>U. parvum</em> was inoculated into each uterine horn and animals were evaluated for intra-amniotic infection, fetal infection, chorioamnionitis and fetal pathology at 72 hours post-inoculation. Disease outcome was assessed by microbial culture, <em>in situ</em> detection of <em>U. parvum</em> in fetal and utero-placental tissues, grading of chorioamnionitis, and placental gene expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, S100A8, and S100A9. Placental infection and colonization rates were equivalent in both strains. The <em>in situ</em> distribution of <em>U. parvum</em> in placental tissues was also similar. However, a significantly greater proportion of BALB/c fetuses were infected (P<0.02). C57BL/6 infected animals predominantly exhibited mild to moderate chorioamnionitis (P<0.0001), and a significant reduction in placental expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, S100A8, and S100A9 compared to sham controls (P<0.02). Conversely, severe protracted chorioamnionitis with cellular necrosis was the predominant lesion phenotype in BALB/c mice, which also exhibited a significant increase in placental expression of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, S100A8, and S100A9 (P<0.01). Fetal pathology in BALB/c was multi-organ and included brain, lung, heart, liver, and intestine, whereas fetal pathology in C57BL/6 was only detected in the liver and intestines. These results confirm that the host genetic background is a major determinant in ureaplasmal induced chorioamnionitis with fetal infection and fetal inflammatory response.</p> </div

Profiling of placental inflammatory mediators in sham inoculated BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. (

<p>A) Normalized gene expression values are expressed as 2<i>⁻</i>^Δ<i>Ct</i><a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044047#pone.0044047-Schmittgen1" target="_blank">[72]</a>. (B) Production of IL-10 expressed as mean (pg/gm weight of tissue) ± SD. Values represent 5 biological replicates from 3 independent experiments.</p

Predominant BALB/c and C57BL/6 response profile to <i>U. parvum</i> intrauterine infection.

<p>Predominant BALB/c and C57BL/6 response profile to <i>U. parvum</i> intrauterine infection.</p

Fetal inflammatory response criteria modified from Redline 2006 [32].

<p>Fetal inflammatory response criteria modified from Redline 2006 <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0044047#pone.0044047-Redline2" target="_blank">[32]</a>.</p