Galectins: novel immune regulators of pregnancy?

SANDRA BLOIS, JUAN M. ILARREGUI, MAREIKE TOMETTEM, BURGHARD F. KLAPP, GABRIEL A. RABINOVICH, PETRA C. ARCK

Hakone, Jap¨°n

Congreso; IX International Congress of Reproductive Immunology; 2004

International Society of Reproductive Immunology

Galectins (Gal): new immune regulators of pregnancy?   Sandra Blois (1), Juan M. Ilarregui(2), Mareike Tometten (1),  Burghard F. Klapp (1), Gabriel A Rabinovich (2), Petra C Arck (1)   1 Charit¨¦, Department of Internal Medicine, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany. 2 Division of Immunogenetics, Hospital de Clinicas Jos¨¦ de San Mart¨ªn, Buenos Aires, Argentina.   Galectins are members of a conserved family of ¦Â-galactoside-binding animal lectins. In pregnancy tissues, two galectins have been described: Gal-1 and -3. Recent evidence suggests that Gal-1 has powerful immunoregulatory effects in vivo due to a Th2 polarized immune response. In contrast, studies of Gal-3-deficient mice have provided significant support for the proinflammatory Th1 role of this lectin, thus the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of galectins in physiological and pathologic established mouse model of pregnancy. After overnight cohabitation with DBA/2J males CBA/J females with vaginal plug were randomized in different groups receiving the following treatment: 1) injection of PBS (control), 2) sound stress for 24 hours and injection of PBS, 3) sound stress and injection of antisense Gal-3 (a Gal-3), and 4) sound stress and injection of recombinant Gal-1 (r Gal-1). Mice were sacrificed on gestation day 13.5 and resorptions were counted. From our pilot study we knew that Gal-1 is intense expressed in decidua and uterus in control mice. Meanwhile, stressed mice showed a limited Gal-1 expression in decidua and uterus. Moreover, we observed that control mice showed a discrete expression of Gal-3 on the surface and cytoplasm of the myometrium and nondecidualized cells. In contrast, a high intensity of Gal-3 was observed in aforementioned regions of the uterus. Stress significantly increased the abortion rate compared to the control. Treatment with a Gal-3 and r Gal-1 before and after stress exposure abrogates the effects of stress on the abortion rate and restores it to the level of the control group. Our results suggest that galectins may play a crucial role in immune regulation during mouse gestation.