In vitro cow uterine response to Escherichia coli, leukotrienes and cytokines

Abstract The aim was to determine the dynamic profile of interactions between Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) and the actions of leukotrienes (LTs) and TNF and INFγ (cytokines) in the uterus in vitro . Uterine explants (N = 6) were incubated for 2, 12 and 24 h either as E. coli -treated (10 6  CFU) or non-treated and/or with: LTB 4 and C 4 (10 −6  M, for both LTs), LTs receptors antagonists (aLTR; 10 −6  M) and/or cytokines (each 10 ng/ml). Toll Like Receptor 4 (TLR4) mRNA expression increased in explants incubated with E. coli , cytokines and LTs after 2 and 12 h and aLTR inhibited the effect of LTs in explants incubated with E. coli (P  E.coli -treated explants with cytokines after 2 h and cytokines with LTs after 12 h (P  E. coli increased prostaglandin (PG)E 2 output after all examined time points, and PGF 2α and IL-6 levels in E.coli -treated explants after 12 and 24 h with cytokines, with LTs (P  E. coli after 12 and 24 h (P