BACKGROUND<\/p>\n
Pre-eclampsia, a syndrome usually accompanied by incomplete spiral arterial modification, occurs at an increased frequency in diabetic women. Hyperglycemia in non-obese type 1 diabetic (NOD) mice impairs gestational spiral arterial remodeling despite high local levels of interferon gamma (Ifng), the triggering cytokine in mice. Pregnancies in NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup> mice were assessed to investigate this issue.<\/p>\n METHODS<\/p>\n Fecundity was assessed using the breeding history, flushing of preimplantation embryos and histological and morphometric studies of implantation sites in normoglycemic (n-) and hyperglycemic (d-) females of NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup> and NOD genotypes.<\/p>\n RESULTS<\/p>\n NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup> but not NOD mice are mostly infertile. In NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup>, copulation often does not result in a post-implantation pregnancy. Defective fertilization and delayed preimplantation development limit n-NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup> fertility, and both mechanisms are exacerbated by hyperglycemia. At mid-gestation, implantation sites in n-NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup> and n-NOD mice are histologically similar. However, in d-NOD.Ifng<\/I>–\/–<\/sup>, there is minimal development of spiral arteries, hypertrophy of the myometrial region containing uterine Natural Killer (uNK) cells and a deficit in cytoplasmic granule formation in the uNK cells.<\/p>\n CONCLUSIONS<\/p>\n Ifng contributes to the success of fertilization and to the rate of preimplantation mouse embryo development in normogylcemic and hyperglycemic pregnancies. A physiological role for this cytokine in human preimplantation development merits investigation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" BACKGROUND Pre-eclampsia, a syndrome usually accompanied by incomplete spiral arterial modification, occurs at an increased frequency in diabetic women. Hyperglycemia in non-obese type 1 diabetic (NOD) mice impairs gestational spiral arterial remodeling despite high local levels of interferon gamma (Ifng), … Continue reading