Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Theriogenology. 2011 Oct 1;76(6):1152-61. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.05.024. Epub 2011 Jul 12.
This study provides the first report into immunohistochemical localization of Toll-like receptor (TLR) in the canine reproductive tract. TLR4 was investigated in endometrium during the estrous cycle and in pyometra. Pyometra is the most important pathological condition of the uterus due to bacterial infection in dogs. To protect against invading pathogens, the female reproductive tract has evolved immune mechanisms. TLRs are the cellular components of the afferent arm of the innate immune system. The expression of TLR4 was significantly higher in the endometrial stroma compared to the endometrial surface epithelium and glandular epithelium in proestrus. The glandular epithelium and stroma at the diestrous stage expressed TLR4 significantly higher than surface epithelium. Furthermore, when compared to other healthy groups, the glandular epithelium at diestrus also higher expressed TLR4 than other stages. The expression of TLR4 in the surface epithelium was higher in dogs with pyometra compared with all other groups. And, the surface epithelium of dogs suffering from pyometra also expressed TLR4 more intensely than the glandular epithelium. The innate immunity of infected canine endometrium response to bacterial infection is intensely extremely increased by the expression of TLR4. Furthermore, the different levels of TLR4 expression seems related to physiological changes in distinct cell types of endometrium, leukocytes populations, cytokines and sex hormones.
本研究首次报道了 Toll 样受体 (TLR) 在犬生殖道中的免疫组织化学定位。在发情周期和子宫积脓中研究了 TLR4。子宫积脓是犬细菌性感染导致的最重要的子宫病理状况。为了防止入侵病原体，女性生殖道已经进化出免疫机制。TLRs 是先天免疫系统感应臂的细胞成分。在发情前期，与子宫内膜表面上皮和腺上皮相比，TLR4 在子宫内膜基质中的表达显著更高。在发情期，腺体上皮和基质的 TLR4 表达显著高于表面上皮。此外，与其他健康组相比，发情期的腺体上皮也比其他阶段表达更高的 TLR4。患有子宫积脓的犬的表面上皮中 TLR4 的表达高于其他所有组。并且，患有子宫积脓的犬的表面上皮比腺上皮表达更高强度的 TLR4。TLR4 的表达强烈增加了感染犬子宫内膜的先天免疫对细菌感染的反应。此外，TLR4 的不同表达水平似乎与子宫内膜不同细胞类型、白细胞群体、细胞因子和性激素的生理变化有关。
