Figure 3
From: NK cell-derived IL-10 is critical for DC-NK cell dialogue at the maternal-fetal interface
IL-10+ NK cells promote fetal survival in FLT3 treated IL-10−/− mice. (A) Top panel: Protocol scheme for FLT3 treatment in female mice during early gestation. C57BL/6 females (IL-10+/+ or IL-10−/−) were treated with FLT3 from ED0.5 to ED7.5, as described in Methods. Bottom panel: Representative images of the macroscopical appearance of the uterus and implantation sites registered during ED7.5. The pictures show the normal phenotype of IL-10+/+ implantation sites in contrast to that observed in IL-10−/− mice, which exhibit less implantations. (B) Number of implantations observed after FLT3L treatment in IL-10+/+ and IL-10−/− dams on ED7.5. (C) Left panel: Representative images showing DBA-PAS staining of whole implantation sections harvested on ED7.5 from IL-10+/+ mice in which DC had been expanded with FLT3. (D) Absolute numbers of IL-10 expressing NK1.1 cells in control and FLT3 treated IL-10+/+ dams. In figures (B) and (D) data are depicted as the mean ± SEM derived from six to eight mice per group. *p < 0.05 and **p < 0.001 analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. (E) Experimental design for adoptive transfer of IL-10+/+ NK cells during early pregnancy. Upon plug detection; IL-10−/− mice were injected daily with 10 μg FLT3 i.p. from ED0.5 to ED7.5. IL-10+/+ or IL-10−/− NK1.1 cells were then adoptively transferred to IL-10−/− mice upon FLT3 treatment on ED5.5. (F) Left panel: macroscopical appearance of the uterus on E13.5. The pictures show the normal phenotype of FLT3 treated IL-10−/− dams transferred with IL-10+/+ NK cells in contrast to that observed in FLT3 treated IL-10−/− dams transferred or not with IL-10−/− NK cells mice, which exhibit resorbed fetuses; Right panel: Number of viable and non-viable implantations from FLT3 treated IL-10−/− dams transferred or not with IL-10+/+ or IL-10−/− NK cells observed on ED13.5. Data shown are mean ± SEM derived from six mice per group. *p < 0.05 analyzed by the Tukey’s test.
