본 실험에서는 가토에서 배반포가 자궁내막에 착상할 때, 모체의 면역기능의 변화를 알아보고, 착상시 관여하는 호르몬과 모체의 면역기능과의 연관성을 관찰하여 다음과 같은 결과를 얻었다. 1. 임신 7일째 가토의 말초혈관 림프구에 concanavalin A를 처리하면, 임신하지 않은 가토의 림프구보다 훨씬 낮은 자극지수를 나타냄으로써 면역억제 현상이 나타나는 것을 관찰할 수 있었다. 2. 임신 7일 때의 혈청 progesterone농도인 11.56 ng/ml을 임신하지 않는 가토의 말초혈관 림프구에 처리하면, 억제현상을 나타내지 않았으나, Progesterone의 농도가 1000 ng/ml 이상에서는 농도에 비례하여 림프구의 활성도가 감소되었다. 3. 4.5 ng/ml~4,500 ng/ml의 PGE2α는 concanavalin A처리시 림프구의 활성도에 별다른 영향을 끼치지 않았으나, PGE는 4.5 ng/ml~4,500 ng/ml에서 농도에 비례하여 림프구의 활성도를 유의하게 감소시켰다. 그러나 임신 제 8일째의 말초혈관 림프구에 prostaglandin 합성 억제제인 indomethacin 0.1 또는 1μg/ml을 처리하면 억제되었던 림프구 활성도가 각각28%, 23% 증가되었다. 이상의 결과로 보아 토끼의 착상기간중 모체의 면역기능이 저하되며 PGE가 착상기간중 면역기능을 저하시키는 요소중 하나인 것으로 생각된다.
We determined the maternal peripheral lymphocyte response to mitogen during the period of implantation and evaluated the effects of hormones, which are known to be involved in the process of implantation, on the lymphocyte activity in rabbits. As compared with peripheral lymphocyte activity in non-pregnant rabbits, lymphocyte activity was significantly depressed on days 6, 7 and 9 of pregnancy. Although concentrations of serum progesterone were gradually increased during the implantation period, progesterone did not inhibit lymphocyte activity at physiological concentration. Serum PGE2α was significantly increased on day 7 while PGE was slightly increased. PGE2α did not modify lymphocyte activity even with greater concentrations than physiological level. However, lymphocyte activity was significantly inhibited by PGE even with physiological doses. The treatment of indomethacin at doses of 0.1 or 1.0μg/ml tended to enhance lymphocyte response, which was depressed on day 8 of pregnancy, 28% or 23% respectively. Although in non-pregnant rabbit, enhancement of lymphocyte response was also shown after the treatment of indomethacin, this enhancement was much less than that in pregnant rabbits. These results strongly suggest that maternal immune response was depressed during the process of implantation and PGE might be one of factors for immunomodulation during this period.
