The Role of Chemokines in Mammalian Reproduction

Chemokines mediate leukocyte migration in various tissues through their G protein-coupled receptors. Recent findings show that chemokines, including interleukin-8(IL 8), monocyte the motactic protein-1(MCP1), regulated on activation normal T cell-expressed and secreted protein (RANTES), growth-regulated oncogene-#alpha# (GRO-#alpha#), and granulocyte chemotactic peptide-2(GCP-2), are closely involved in reproductive processes like follicular development and atresia, ovulation, steroidogenesis, corpus luteum function, menstruation, implantation, cervical ripening, preterm labor and endometriosis.