Infertility in female mice lacking the receptor for interleukin 11 is due to a defective uterine response to implantation

L Robb, R Li, L Hartley, HH Nandurkar, F Koentgen… - Nature medicine, 1998 - nature.com
L Robb, R Li, L Hartley, HH Nandurkar, F Koentgen, CG Begley
Nature medicine, 1998nature.com
During early pregnancy, in response to the implanting embryo, the surrounding uterine
stroma undergoes a dramatic transformation into a specialized tissue known as the decidua.
The de-cidua encapsulates the developing embryo, facilitating nutrient transfer and limiting
tro-phoblast invasion. Here we show that female mice with a null mutation of the interleukin-
11 receptor alpha chain are infertile because of defective decidualization. A temporal
analysis revealed IL-11 expression is maximal in the normal pregnant uterus at the time of …
Abstract
During early pregnancy, in response to the implanting embryo, the surrounding uterine stroma undergoes a dramatic transformation into a specialized tissue known as the decidua. The de-cidua encapsulates the developing embryo, facilitating nutrient transfer and limiting tro-phoblast invasion. Here we show that female mice with a null mutation of the interleukin-11 receptor alpha chain are infertile because of defective decidualization. A temporal analysis revealed IL-11 expression is maximal in the normal pregnant uterus at the time of decidualization, and in situ hybridization studies showed expression of the IL-11 and the IL-11 receptor alpha chain in the developing decidual cells. These observations reveal a previously unrecognized critical role for IL-11 signaling in female reproduction.
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