Absorption of proinflammatory cytokines from inflamed porcine uterus into the uterine venous blood--preliminary data

The aim of the present study was to estimate the absorption of 125I-labeled proinflammatory cytokines--interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) from inflamed porcine uterus into the uterine venous blood. Moreover, in order to test the hypothesis that the above cytokines penetrate directly into ovaries and oviduct via local destination transfer in the area of the ovarian vascular pedicle and bypassing the systemic circulation, the concentration of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in ovarian and oviductal tissues was also studied. These cytokine concentrations were also estimated in the ovarian venous blood. IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha from both control and inflamed uteri were absorbed into the uterine venous blood, but it was higher (P < 0.05-0.001) from the pathologically changed uteri. The uterine tissues, particularly the endometrium, of both control and inflamed uteri retained all studied cytokines, but to a higher degree (P < 0.001) in the inflamed uteri. Injections of IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha into the control and inflammatory changed uteri produced the presence of these proteins in the ovary and oviduct. However, the concentrations of IL-1beta and IL-6 in the ovarian and oviductal tissues was low after injections of control and inflamed uteri with these cytokines. In turn, administration of TNF-alpha into the inflammatory changed uteri lead to an enhancement in the concentration of this cytokine in the ovarian parenchyma (P < 0.05) and oviduct (P < 0.001). All studied cytokines were found in the ovarian venous blood after their injection into both control and inflamed uteri, which indicated its local destination transfer to the ovary. However, the concentration of cytokines increased (P <0.05-0.001) in the gilts with pathologically changed uteri as compared to controls. The study showed that both control and inflamed porcine uteri absorbed IL-1beta, IL-6 and TNF-alpha into the uterine venous blood, but the values of absorbed cytokines from inflamed uteri were higher. Moreover, the quantity and the manner of the studied cytokineS absorption into the uterine venous blood differed.