Precision-cut rat placental slices as a model to study sex-dependent inflammatory response to LPS and Poly I:C.
Front Immunol 2022;
13:1083248. [PMID:
36605215 PMCID:
PMC9807759 DOI:
10.3389/fimmu.2022.1083248]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction
Maternal inflammation in pregnancy represents a major hallmark of several pregnancy complications and a significant risk factor for neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders in the offspring. As the interface between the mother and the fetus, the placenta plays a crucial role in fetal development and programming. Moreover, studies have suggested that the placenta responds to an inflammatory environment in a sex-biased fashion. However, placenta-mediated immunoregulatory mechanisms are still poorly understood.
Methods
Therefore, we have developed a model of ex vivo precision-cut placental slices from the rat term placenta to study acute inflammatory response. Rat placental slices with a precise thickness of 200 µm were generated separately from male and female placentas. Inflammation was stimulated by exposing the slices to various concentrations of LPS or Poly I:C for 4 and 18 hours.
Results
Treatment of placental slices with LPS significantly induced the expression and release of proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-1β. In contrast, Poly I:C treatment resulted in a less-pronounced inflammatory response. Interestingly, the female placenta showed higher sensitivity to LPS than male placenta. Anti-inflammatory agents, curcumin, 1α,25- dihydroxyvitamin D3, and progesterone attenuated the LPS-induced proinflammatory cytokine response at both mRNA and protein levels.
Discussion
We conclude that rat placental slices represent a novel alternative model to study the role of sexual dimorphism in the acute inflammatory response and immune activation in pregnancy.
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