Decidual factors and vasoactive intestinal peptide guide monocytes and decicual macrophages to higher migration, efferocytosis and wound healing in term human pregnancy

D. PAPARINI, E. GRASSO, L. FERNANDEZ; F. MERECH, R. WEINGRIL, S. CORREA-SILVA, G. IZBIZKY, J. ABASOLO, V. HAUK, R. RAMHORST, E.BEVILAQCUA, C. PÉREZ LEIRÓS.

Congreso; Reunión Anual Conjunta SAIC-SAI-SAFIS; 2020

The recruitment and differentiation of monocytes (Mo) at the decidua are critical eventsthat determine the outcome of pregnancy. Their functional plasticity limits the extent ofinjury after implantation and promotes tissue homeostasis maintenance. The vasoactiveintestinal peptide (VIP) is an immunoregulatory peptide synthesized by trophoblast anddecidual cells that promotes trophoblast (Tb) invasion, vascular remodelling and functionalshaping of decidual macrophages (dMA) in first trimester placenta. Here we studied therole of VIP in human term placenta as a regulator of Mo and dMA function.Peripheral blood monocytes were isolated from non-pregnant (NON-P) and pregnant (P)volunteers and normal placental samples were obtained at term. Mo were treated in vitrowith VIP, or conditioned media from decidual explants (D) or decidual explants culturedwith VIP [D (VIP)]. Mo or dMA isolated by positive selection with magnetic beads wereused to study efferocytosis with CFSE-labelled autologous apoptotic neutrophils by flowcytometry and their wound healing capacity on human endometrial stromal cell line(HESC) monolayers.NON-P Mo presented higher percentage of efferocytosis than P (34.5±4.5 vs. 21.8±3.3;p