ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The fallopian tubes play a critical role in the early events of fertilization. The rapid innate immune defense is an important part of the fallopian tubes. Toll-like receptor 3 (TLR3), as a part of the innate immune system, plays an important role in detecting viral infections. In this basic and experimental study, the effect of sex hormones on the function of TLR3 in the OE-E6/E7 cell line was investigated. METHODS: The functionality of TLR3 in this cell line was evaluated by cytokine measurements (interleukin [IL]-6 and IL-1b) and the effects of sex hormones on TLR3 were tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Additionally, TLR3 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and a TLR3 function-blocking antibody were used to confirm our findings. RESULTS: The production of IL-6 significantly increased in the presence of polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly(I:C)) as the TLR3 ligand. Using a TLR3-siRNA-ransfected OE-E6/E7 cell line and function-blocking antibody confirmed that cytokine production was due to TLR3. In addition, 17-β estradiol and progesterone suppressed the production of IL-6 in the presence and absence of poly(I:C). CONCLUSION: These results imply that sex hormones exerted a suppressive effect on the function of TLR3 in the fallopian tube cell line when different concentrations of sex hormones were present. The current results also suggest that estrogen receptor beta and nuclear progesterone receptor B are likely to mediate the hormonal regulation of TLR3, as these two receptors are the main estrogen and progesterone receptors in OE-E6/E7 cell line.
Subject(s)
Female , Cell Line , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Epithelial Cells , Estradiol , Estrogen Receptor beta , Estrogens , Fallopian Tubes , Fertilization , Gonadal Steroid Hormones , Immune System , Immunity, Innate , Interleukin-6 , Poly I-C , Progesterone , Receptors, Progesterone , RNA, Small Interfering , Toll-Like Receptor 3 , Toll-Like ReceptorsABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To determine the localization, expression, and function of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) in fallopian tube epithelial cells. METHODS: The localization of TLRs in fallopian tube epithelial cells was investigated by immunostaining. Surprisingly, the intensity of staining was not equal in the secretory and ciliated cells. After primary cell culture of fallopian tube epithelial cells, ring cloning was used to isolate colonies of ciliated epithelial cells, distinct from non-ciliated epithelial cells. The expression of TLRs 1–10 was examined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, and protein localization was confirmed by immunostaining. The function of the TLRs was determined by interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 production in response to TLR2, TLR3, TLR5, TLR7, and TLR9 ligands. RESULTS: Fallopian tube epithelial cells expressed TLRs 1–10 in a cell-type-specific manner. Exposing fallopian tube epithelial cells to TLR2, TLR3, TLR5, TLR7, and TLR9 agonists induced the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-6 and IL-8. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that TLR expression in the fallopian tubes is cell-type-specific. According to our results, ciliated cells may play more effective role than non-ciliated cells in the innate immune defense of the fallopian tubes, and in interactions with gametes and embryos.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Clone Cells , Cloning, Organism , Cytokines , Embryonic Structures , Epithelial Cells , Fallopian Tubes , Germ Cells , Interleukin-6 , Interleukin-8 , Interleukins , Ligands , Primary Cell Culture , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Toll-Like ReceptorsABSTRACT
Objective: Toll like receptors [TLRs] are one of the main components of the innate im-mune system. It has been reported that expression of these receptors are altered in the female reproductive tract [FRT] during menstrual cycle. Here we used a fallopian tube epithelial cell line [OE-E6/E7] to evaluate the effect of two sex hormones in modulating TLR expression
Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, initially TLR gene expression in OE-E6/E7 cells was evaluated and compared with that of fallopian tube tissue using quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction [qRT-PCR] and immunostaining. Thereafter, OE-E6/E7 cells were cultured with different concentrations of estradiol and progesterone, and combination of both. qRT-PCR was performed to reveal any changes in expression of TLR genes as a result of hormonal treatment
Results: TLR1-10 genes were expressed in human fallopian tube tissue. TLR1-6 genes and their respective proteins were expressed in the OE-E6/E7 cell line. Although estradiol and progesterone separately had no significant effect on TLR expression, their combined treatment altered the expression of TLRs in this cell line. Also, the pattern of TLR expression in preovulation [P], mensturation [M] and window of implantation [W] were the same for all TLRs with no significant differences between P, M and W groups
Conclusion: These data show the significant involvement of the combination of estradiol and progesterone in modulation of TLR gene expression in this human fallopian tube cell line. Further experiments may reveal the regulatory mechanism and signalling pathway behind the effect of sex hormones in modulating TLRs in the human FRT