The development of the placenta is dependent upon the regulated proliferation, invasion and differentiation of trophoblast. Expression of cytokines at the feto-maternal interface suggests that these molecules may participate in placentation. The expression of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) and G-CSF receptor (G-CSFR) during the development of the human placenta was studied by immunohistochemistry using an anti-G-CSF monoclonal antibody (mAb) and two novel anti-G-CSFR mAbs. G-CSF was present in the stroma of fetal chorionic villi and maternal decidual tissues throughout pregnancy. G-CSFR was detected at high levels in fetal first and third, but not second trimester placental tissues. Staining for G-CSFR was undetectable in maternal decidual tissue from all gestational stages. In first trimester tissues, staining for placental G-CSFR was strongest in differentiated syncytiotrophoblast and invasive, extravillous cytotrophoblast, and weak staining was evident in undifferentiated cytotrophoblast. Immunohistochemical data suggesting temporal regulation of G-CSFR were corroborated by Western blotting and amplification by reverse transcription and PCR of G-CSFR mRNA. These data suggested that expression of G-CSFR in the human placenta is regulated both temporally and spatially, and that placental G-CSF is involved in paracrine regulation, and indicate a role for G-CSF and G-CSFR in trophoblast growth or function during placentation.

Isolation of pure preparations of the different cell populations of human endometrium is a prerequisite for studies of in-vitro function. Sieving of dispersed endometrial cells, followed by adsorption onto immunomagnetic microspheres coated with antibody to Thy-1 was used to separate glandular and stromal cells. The purity of these cell populations was checked with antibodies to cytokeratin and Thy-1. The stromal cells were 98% pure and 90% viable, gland cells were 82% pure with 76% viability. The purified cells were able to proliferate in vitro as shown by thymidine incorporation.

No abstract

SUMMARY Biologically active tumour necrosis factor (TNF) was detected in medium conditioned by incubation with cxplants of human pregnancy decidua or fetal chorionic villous tissue, taken in the first trimester and at term. Addition of endotoxin increased TNF release in most cases. ELISA assays gave similar results for TNF–α and also demonstrated low levels of TNF–β. Using cell populations purified by flow cytometry, secretion of biologically active TNF was shown to be localized to the macrophages. Cytotrophoblast purified from term amniochorion produced no TNF. Both decidual and chorionic villous tissue at term contained mRNA for TNF–α and TNF–β. TNF–α mRNA was confined to decidual macrophages in first trimester tissue, and was not present in chorionic cytolrophoblast. TNF–β mRNA, in contrast, was detected in both macrophage and no‐acrophage populations in term dccidua.