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Anatomical and immunological aspects of fetal death in the Mus musculus/Mus caroli model of pregnancy failure

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Early Pregnancy Loss

Summary

M. caroli embryos transferred to the M. musculus uterus implant but subsequently resorb about mid-gestation. Failure is a function of M. caroli trophoblast and, in immunocompetent M. musculus recipients, is associated with deficient recruitment of intrauterine suppressor cells followed by lymphocytic infiltration of the conceptus and development of cytotoxic lymphocytes (CTL). To determine the events initiating pregnancy failure in this model system, M. caroli blastocysts were transferred to severe combined immunodeficient (sci d) mice of genotype scidlscid. C.B.-17 scidlscid mice were unresponsive to M. caroli xenoantigens in immunological assays but M. caroli embryos transferred to them failed to survive and were resorbed efficiently. These results indicated that CTL, antibody, delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and T-cell activated macrophages neither initiated M. caroli failure nor were essential for resorption of embryos in the murine uterus.

To investigate further the events initiating failure of M. caroli embryos in M. musculus recipients, semi-thin serial sections of Day 8.5 pregnancies were studied. Evidence was obtained that supports a primary failure of M. caroli trophoblast giant cells which is unlikely to have an immunological basis.

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© 1988 The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

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Crépeau, M.A., Yamashiro, S., Croy, B.A. (1988). Anatomical and immunological aspects of fetal death in the Mus musculus/Mus caroli model of pregnancy failure. In: Sharp, F., Beard, R.W. (eds) Early Pregnancy Loss. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1658-5_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-1658-5_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-1660-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-1658-5

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