Alteration of chemokine production in bovine endometrial epithelial and stromal cells under heat stress conditions

Abstract

After parturition, cows frequently develop uterine bacterial infections, resulting in the onset of endometritis. To eliminate the bacteria, bovine endometrial cells secrete chemokines, such as IL-6 and MCP1, which attract macrophages (MΦs) to the subepithelial stroma. These attracted MΦs are not only involved in bacterial elimination but also the orchestration of inflammation and tissue repair. These immune responses aid in the recovery from endometritis; however, the recovery from endometritis takes longer in summer than in any other season. Based on these findings, we hypothesized that heat stress (HS) affects the chemokine production in endometrial cells. To confirm this hypothesis, we compared IL-6 and MCP1 production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in bovine endometrial epithelial and stromal cells under normal (38.5°C) and HS conditions (40.5°C). In the endometrial epithelial cells, IL-6 production stimulated by LPS was significantly (p