Tumor necrosis factor-alpha-associated uterine endothelial injury in vivo. Influence of dietary fat.

The influence of dietary fat on recombinant human tumor necrosis factor-alpha (rHuTNF-alpha)-associated vascular endothelial injury in mice was examined. Histopathologic evaluation showed that greater injury was consistently observed in the uterus characterized by necrosis of endothelial cells lining small vessels in the endometrium and accompanied by multifocal hemorrhage and inflammatory cell accumulation. Mice fed standard animal diet, high corn oil diet, or high menhaden oil diet showed no differences in their susceptibility to the acute injury caused by rHuTNF-alpha injected alone or in combination with recombinant murine interferon-gamma. These results indicate that uterine endothelium may be a more sensitive target for rHuTNF-alpha-mediated endothelial injury and that high menhaden oil diet does not protect against tissue injury associated with the administration of rHuTNF-alpha alone or in combination with recombinant murine interferon-gamma.