Department of Physiology, University of Siena, Italy.
Curr Pharm Des. 2010;16(32):3601-15. doi: 10.2174/138161210793797933.
The story of cytokines in pregnancy began about 30 years ago, approximately in concomitance with the understanding that cytokines are autocrine-paracrine regulators of physiological processes. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are predominant in the early and late events of gestation, e.g. pregnancy establishment and parturition, both of which have been described as inflammatory-like events. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are also produced in response to microbes constantly in contact with the female reproductive tract. While a pro-inflammatory response is beneficial to successful pregnancy, an exaggerated response, as may occur for an unresolved infection, could result in an unfavorable pregnancy outcome in animals and humans. Therapeutic strategies are required to avoid the risks to the health of fetus and mother. In this review, we discuss the involvement of pro-inflammatory cytokines in pregnancy at implantation and parturition, including the pathologies which might be related to an alteration of the cytokine levels. We also deal with the use of anti-cytokines and/or anti-inflammatory mediators to antagonize the action of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Finally we discuss the potential of animal models to evaluate the association of cytokines in the establishment and maintenance of pregnancy.
细胞因子与妊娠的故事始于大约 30 年前，大约与细胞因子是生理过程的自分泌-旁分泌调节剂的理解同时发生。促炎细胞因子在妊娠的早期和晚期事件中占主导地位，例如妊娠建立和分娩，这两者都被描述为类似炎症的事件。促炎细胞因子也会因不断接触女性生殖道的微生物而产生。虽然促炎反应有利于成功妊娠，但如未解决的感染可能发生的过度反应，可能会导致动物和人类妊娠结局不佳。需要治疗策略来避免对胎儿和母亲健康的风险。在这篇综述中，我们讨论了促炎细胞因子在着床和分娩过程中参与妊娠的情况，包括可能与细胞因子水平改变相关的病理学。我们还讨论了使用抗细胞因子和/或抗炎介质来拮抗促炎细胞因子的作用。最后，我们讨论了动物模型在评估细胞因子在妊娠建立和维持中的关联方面的潜力。
