Mitogenic response of lymphocytes collected from jugular and uterine veins and the uterine lumen of estrous, Day 14 and ovariectomized ewes.

Lymphocytes harvested from the jugular vein (JV), uterine vein (UV) and uterine lumen (UL) of Day 14 (n = 7), estrous (n = 6) and ovariectomized (OVX, n = 5) nulliparous Dorset ewes were tested in vitro with two dosages (0.08 and 0.16 micrograms) of the mitogen, phytohemagglutinin (PHA). UL lymphocytes were aspirated from the uterine lumen of each horn following gentle curetting of the endometrium. Lymphocytes (1 X 10(5)/culture well) from each source and reproductive category were cultured in RPMI-1640 (with additives) and treated with 0 (control), 0.08 and 0.16 micrograms of PHA. At 48 h of culture, 0.1 microCi of tritiated [3H]thymidine was added and were harvested at 60 +/- 1 h of culture. A stimulation index (SI) was calculated for cultures containing PHA. Analysis of variance revealed that SI values for Day 14 and estrous ewes were affected (P less than 0.002) by lymphocyte source at each PHA dosage. For Day 14 ewes, mean SI values for JV lymphocytes were greater (P less than 0.05) than for UL lymphocytes at 0.08 (7.2 and 1.8, respectively) and 0.16 micrograms (8.7 and 2.5, respectively) of PHA. For estrous ewes, mean SI values for JV lymphocytes were greater (P less than 0.05) than for UL lymphocytes at 0.08 (5.7 and 1.4, respectively) and 0.16 micrograms (6.7 and 2.2, respectively) of PHA. Mean SI values for UV lymphocytes for Day 14 and estrous ewes were intermediate between mean SI values for JV and UL lymphocytes. For OVX ewes, SI values were not affected (P greater than 0.25) by lymphocyte source at either PHA dosage. Further, mean SI values for UL lymphocytes from OVX ewes were greater than mean SI values for UL lymphocytes from Day 14 and estrous ewes at 0.08 (P less than 0.05) and 0.16 micrograms (P less than 0.02) of PHA. For intact ewes, data indicated that UL PHA-treated lymphocytes were suppressed, and that the immunosuppressive factor that can influence lymphocytes associated with the uterine environment may be a pertinent immunological adjustment that is requisite for maintenance of the ovine conceptus allograft.