scholarly journals Leukemia Inhibitory Factor: Roles in Embryo Implantation and in Nonhormonal Contraception

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naguib Salleh ◽  
Nelli Giribabu

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) plays an indispensible role in embryo implantation. Aberrant LIF production is linked to implantation failure. LIF regulates multiple processes prior to and during implantation such as uterine transformation into a receptive state, decidualization, blastocyst growth and development, embryo-endometrial interaction, trophoblast invasion, and immune modulation. Due to its critical role, LIF has been a target for a nonhormonal contraception. In this review, we summarize up-to-date information on the role of LIF in implantation and its role in contraception.

Placenta ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 ◽  
pp. 139
Author(s):  
Jumpei Terakawa ◽  
Kazuhiro Matsuo ◽  
Takafumi Namiki ◽  
Kana Ohtomo ◽  
Atsuko Kageyama ◽  
...  

2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naguib Salleh

Prostaglandins (PGs), derivatives of arachidonic acid, play an indispensable role in embryo implantation. PGs have been reported to participate in the increase in vascular permeability, stromal decidualization, blastocyst growth and development, leukocyte recruitment, embryo transport, trophoblast invasion, and extracellular matrix remodeling during implantation. Deranged PGs syntheses and actions will result in implantation failure. This review summarizes up-to-date literatures on the role of PGs in blastocyst implantation which could provide a broad perspective to guide further research in this field.


Endocrinology ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 155 (8) ◽  
pp. 3065-3078 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michele Calder ◽  
Yee-Ming Chan ◽  
Renju Raj ◽  
Macarena Pampillo ◽  
Adrienne Elbert ◽  
...  

The hypothalamic kisspeptin signaling system is a major positive regulator of the reproductive neuroendocrine axis, and loss of Kiss1 in the mouse results in infertility, a condition generally attributed to its hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. We demonstrate that in Kiss1−/− female mice, acute replacement of gonadotropins and estradiol restores ovulation, mating, and fertilization; however, these mice are still unable to achieve pregnancy because embryos fail to implant. Progesterone treatment did not overcome this defect. Kiss1+/− embryos transferred to a wild-type female mouse can successfully implant, demonstrating the defect is due to maternal factors. Kisspeptin and its receptor are expressed in the mouse uterus, and we suggest that it is the absence of uterine kisspeptin signaling that underlies the implantation failure. This absence, however, does not prevent the closure of the uterine implantation chamber, proper alignment of the embryo, and the ability of the uterus to undergo decidualization. Instead, the loss of Kiss1 expression specifically disrupts embryo attachment to the uterus. We observed that on the day of implantation, leukemia inhibitory factor (Lif), a cytokine that is absolutely required for implantation in mice, is weakly expressed in Kiss1−/− uterine glands and that the administration of exogenous Lif to hormone-primed Kiss1−/− female mice is sufficient to partially rescue implantation. Taken together, our study reveals that uterine kisspeptin signaling regulates glandular Lif levels, thereby identifying a novel and critical role for kisspeptin in regulating embryo implantation in the mouse. This study provides compelling reasons to explore this role in other species, particularly livestock and humans.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (9) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
L. Lin ◽  
E. M. Menkhorst ◽  
E. Dimitriadis

Decidualization is the differentiation of endometrial stromal cells into decidual cells. It is a critical process in embryo implantation, placentation and the establishment of pregnancy. Inadequate decidualization can lead to infertility, abnormal placentation and recurrent miscarriage. Endometrial leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is indispensible in blastocyst implantation in mice and dysregulated in infertile women. LIF is produced by 1st trimester decidual cells but its role in decidualization is not known. This study aimed to examine the role of LIF in human and mouse decidualization. Primary human endometrial stomal cells (HESC) were isolated and decidualized (D) by treatment with estradiol (E) +medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) for 14 days. HESC were also treated with E+MPA+/–LIF (0.5, 5, 50, 100 and 200 ng/mL) for 14 days. Prolactin secretion was used to assess the extent of decidualization (n = 6). D and non-D HESC were also treated with LIF (0.5, 5, 50, 100 and 200 ng/mL +/– LIF inhibitor) for 15min and the phosphorylation (p) of signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3/STAT3 abundance was detected by Western blot (n = 4). RNA was isolated for analysis of LIF and LIF receptor (R) mRNA expression during decidualization (n = 4). HESC treated with E+MPA+LIF (50, 100 and 200 ng/mL) secreted more prolactin compared to cells treated with E+MPA alone (P < 0.05). LIF increased pSTAT3/STAT3 abundance in D and non-D cells while LIF+LIF inhibitor abolished pSTAT3/STAT3. LIF mRNA was downregulated while LIF-R mRNA increased during decidualization. In vivo, mated mice (n = 5) were injected intraperitoneally with a unique long acting LIF inhibitor post-implantation at day 4.5 of pregnancy and resulted in reduced decidualization compared to control. This is the first study to demonstrate that LIF promoted decidualization of HESC possibly via pSTAT3. It further suggested that LIF regulated decidualization in mice demonstrating a newly identified critical role for LIF in the establishment of pregnancy.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 714 ◽  
Author(s):  
Golla Jaya Prakash ◽  
Pankaj Suman ◽  
Diana M. Morales Prieto ◽  
Udo R. Markert ◽  
Satish K. Gupta

Leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is one of the cytokines that is indispensable for embryo implantation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 in LIF-mediated proliferation of HTR-8/SVneo cells. Stimulation of HTR-8/SVneo cells with LIF (50 ng mL–1) resulted in an increase in cell proliferation (P < 0.05) via increased transition of cells to the G2/M phase of cell cycle. Stimulation with LIF resulted in the activation of both signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 Tyr705 and ERK1/2, but inhibition of ERK1/2 signalling by pretreatment of cells with U0126 (10 µM) for 2 h resulted in abrogation of LIF-mediated increases in G2/M transition, with a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in absolute cell numbers compared with control. Although STAT3 silencing had no effect on LIF-dependent proliferation of HTR-8/SVneo cells, it did result in an increase in cell apoptosis, which increased further upon inhibition of ERK1/2 activation irrespective of LIF stimulation. Stimulation of cells with LIF increased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, whereas ERK1/2 inhibition decreased the Bcl-2/Bax ratio, even after LIF stimulation. Hence, it can be inferred that ERK1/2 activation is essential for LIF-mediated increases in proliferation and that both STAT3 and ERK1/2 activation are important for the survival of HTR-8/SVneo cells.


Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Xi Guo ◽  
Hong Yi ◽  
Tin Chiu Li ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Huilin Wang ◽  
...  

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a well-known angiogenic factor that plays a critical role in various physiological and pathological processes. VEGF also contributes to the process of embryo implantation by enhancing embryo development, improving endometrial receptivity, and facilitating the interactions between the developing embryo and the endometrium. There is a correlation between the alteration of VEGF expression and reproductive failure, including recurrent implantation failure (RIF) and recurrent miscarriage (RM). In order to clarify the role of VEGF in embryo implantation, we reviewed recent literature concerning the expression and function of VEGF in the reproductive system around the time of embryo implantation and we provide a summary of the findings reported so far. We also explored the effects and the possible underlying mechanisms of action of VEGF in embryo implantation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yin-Fu Sun ◽  
Jiang Pi ◽  
Jun-Fa Xu

Exosomes are cell-derived nanovesicles carrying protein, lipid, and nucleic acid for secreting cells, and act as significant signal transport vectors for cell-cell communication and immune modulation. Immune-cell-derived exosomes have been found to contain molecules involved in immunological pathways, such as MHCII, cytokines, and pathogenic antigens. Tuberculosis (TB), caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB), remains one of the most fatal infectious diseases. The pathogen for tuberculosis escapes the immune defense and continues to replicate despite rigorous and complicate host cell mechanisms. The infected-cell-derived exosomes under this circumstance are found to trigger different immune responses, such as inflammation, antigen presentation, and activate subsequent pathways, highlighting the critical role of exosomes in anti-MTB immune response. Additionally, as a novel kind of delivery system, exosomes show potential in developing new vaccination and treatment of tuberculosis. We here summarize recent research progress regarding exosomes in the immune environment during MTB infection, and further discuss the potential of exosomes as delivery system for novel anti-MTB vaccines and therapies.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 233
Author(s):  
T. A. L. Brevini ◽  
G. Pennarossa ◽  
S. Antonini ◽  
F. Gandolfi

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), its receptor heterodimer (LRβ-gp130), and the related signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) constitute a system controlling self-renewal and pluripotency of embryonic stem cells (ESC) in the mouse, where LIF withdrawal or direct inhibition of STAT3 causes ESC differentiation. By contrast, several studies have demonstrated that LIF is not required to maintain human ESC pluripotency. Scattered information is available in other species, and data on the role of LIF in pig ESC are scanty. The aims of the present study were (a) to characterize the expression profile of gp130, LRβ, and STAT3 in pig parthenogenetic cell lines (ppC), previously derived in our laboratory and shown to be positive for the main pluripotency related markers; (b) to evaluate the role of LIF pathway in maintaining the pluripotency of these cells. To this purpose, ppC were cultured as previously described (Brevini et al. 2007 Theriogenology 68, 206–214) and screened by RT-PCR for the two LIF receptor subunits (LRβ and gp130) and STAT3. Pig granulosa cells were used as positive controls. To better investigate the possible role of LIF in maintenance of pluripotency in ppC, the formation of embryoid bodies (EB) was induced in the presence or in the absence of the cytokine. Undifferentiated cells were cultured in hanging drops either with or without LIF for 12 days. The EB formation and the expression of molecular markers specific for the three germ layers was evaluated at the end of the differentiation period. Molecular analysis allowed us to detect transcription of STAT3, whereas no signal for LRβ and gp130 was detected in ppC. These results seem to indicate that LIF does not play a role in the maintenance of pluripotency in the pig. However, after removal of LIF, ppC routinely formed EB that expressed molecular markers specific for the three germ layers. On the other hand, when LIF was added to the differentiation medium, pig cells were unable to form EB. They kept proliferating in an undifferentiated state, and no expression of molecular markers specific for the three germ layers was detected. Moreover, when re-plated on inactivated feeder-layers, they formed distinct colonies that maintained expression of pluripotency markers. Our results show that a role of LIF in pluripotency maintenance through a classical LRβ-gp130 and STAT3 activation pathway is unlikely. However, interaction with an alternative nonclassical activation signaling pathway cannot be ruled out. Indeed, the presence of the cytokine in the medium used for differentiation experiments actively inhibited EB formation, indicating a possible role in preventing differentiation in the porcine species. Further studies are needed to elucidate these aspects. Supported by: PRIN2005; PRIN2006; First 2006; First2007.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document