FUNCTIONAL ALTERATIONS IN DECIDUAL CELLS AND TROPHOBLASTS INDUCED BY BRUCELLA INFECTION

ZAVATTIERI LUCÍA; MACCHI ROSARIO; ARAMBURU VICTORIA; CANELLADA ANDREA; FERRERO MARIANA CRISTINA; BALDI PABLO C

Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires

Congreso; LXX Reunion Anual de la Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología; 2022

Sociedad Argentina de Inmunología

Brucella infections are associated with reproductive complications in humans and animals. We evaluated if Brucella can impair functions of decidual cells and trophoblasts relevant for a successful pregnancy. Human endometrial stromal cells (THESC) were infected with different Brucella species (B. abortus, B. suis, B. melitensis) before or after decidualization with medroxiprogesterone and cAMP. Prolactin (PRL), used as a marker of decidualization, was reducedin THESC infected with B. abortus (500 CFU/cell) before decidualization (94±10 pg/ml vs 260±21 pg/ml), but not in cells infected after decidualization. Morphological analysis agreed with PRL observations. Similar results were obtained with other Brucella strains. LDH activity, a marker of cytotoxicity, was not increased at any multiplicity of infection (MOI). The effect of Brucella infection on trophoblasts migration was evaluated with the scratch test using the Swan71 cell line. Wound closure was significantly reduced in trophoblasts infected with B. abortus (MOI 50: 45%; MOI 250: 38%; MOI 500: 36% vs. 83% in uninfected controls), and with other Brucella strains. Factors produced by decidualized or not decidualized THESC are known to promote migration and proinflammatory mediators in trophoblasts. Wound closure was reduced in Swan71 cells treated with conditioned media (CM) from Brucella-infected decidualized THESC as compared to uninfected CM (20% vs. 86%). Similarly, wound closure was inhibited by CM from THESC cells infected before decidualization (8.5% vs. 72.8%). While inflammatory signals are known to promote trophoblast migration, we did not find a reduction of IL-8 (2933±125 vs 820±308 pg/ml) or IL-6 (371±2.3 vs 57±1.3 pg/ml) in CM from infected decidualized THESC used to stimulate Swan71 cells (versus uninfected CM). Anti-inflammatory cytokines are under investigation. Overall, the normal function of trophoblasts and decidual cells, and cross-talk between them, can be affected by Brucella infection.