Regulation of surfactant protein D in the mouse female reproductive tract in vivo

• Published in: Molecular human reproduction 2007-12, Vol.13 (12), p.863-868
• Main Authors: Oberley, Rebecca E., Goss, Kelli L., Hoffmann, Darren S., Ault, Kevin A., Neff, Traci L., Ramsey, Kyle H., Snyder, Jeanne M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cervix Uteri - metabolism; Cervix Uteri - microbiology; Chlamydia Infections - genetics; Chlamydia Infections - metabolism; Chlamydia Infections - microbiology; Chlamydia muridarum - growth & development; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Female; female reproductive tract; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gene Expression Regulation; Genitalia, Female - immunology; Genitalia, Female - metabolism; Genitalia, Female - microbiology; Immunity, Innate; Immunoblotting; infection; Lung - metabolism; Mice; mouse; Oviducts - metabolism; Oviducts - microbiology; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D - genetics; Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein D - metabolism; regulation; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - genetics; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; SP-D; Uterus - metabolism; Uterus - microbiology; Vagina - metabolism; Vagina - microbiology
• ISSN: 1360-9947; 1460-2407
• DOI: 10.1093/molehr/gam074

Surfactant protein D (SP-D) plays a role in innate immunity in the lung and is expressed at many other mucosal surfaces throughout the human body. In this study, we show that SP-D mRNA and protein are present in the murine female reproductive tract; i.e. in the vagina, cervix, uterus and oviduct. SP-D protein is primarily localized to epithelial cells lining the genital tract and is also present in secretory material within the lumen of the uterus and cervix. The levels of SP-D mRNA in the uterus vary by a factor of 10 during the estrous cycle with peak levels present at estrus and the lowest levels at diestrus. In contrast, SP-D mRNA levels in the lung do not change during the estrous cycle. Since SP-D is an innate host defense protein present in the mouse reproductive tract, we studied the influence of infection on SP-D levels in vivo. We found that Chlamydia muridarum infection caused an increase in the SP-D protein content of reproductive tract epithelial cells. These data are suggestive that SP-D may play a role in innate immunity in the female reproductive tract in vivo.