Lymphocyte soluble factors from pregnant cows modulate mRNA transcript abundances encoding for proteins associated with trophoblast growth and development

Abstract This study was conducted to determine whether T cell populations are responsible for modulating placental development during gestation in cattle. It was hypothesized that CD4+CD25+ and γ/δ + T cells modulate gene expression, based on mRNA transcript abundances, and promote proliferation and survival of trophoblast cells. Peripheral blood was collected from cows at 160 to 180 days of gestation and non-pregnant cows, T cell populations CD8+, CD4+, CD4+CD25+, CD24+CD25-, and γ/δ + T cells were isolated, cultured for 48 h, and supernatant was collected. Placental samples were digested, and trophoblast cells were cultured for 24 h. Trophoblast cells were cultured with 50 μL of T cell-conditioned media and 50 μL of fresh culture media for an additional 48 h. Samples in control wells were treated with unconditioned media. Trophoblast cell proliferation, apoptosis, and mRNA transcript assays were conducted. There was no effect of T cell population on trophoblast apoptosis rate, proliferation, and relative mRNA transcript abundances. The T cell supernatant from pregnant and non-pregnant cows induced greater apoptosis rates in trophoblast cells than unconditioned media. Trophoblast cells proliferated less when treated with T cell supernatant from pregnant compared to unconditioned medium and non-pregnant cows. Treatment with the T cell supernatant from pregnant cows resulted in larger abundances of BMP5, IGF1R, PAG10, FGF2, RSPO3 and TMED2 and also a lesser abundance of FGF2 mRNA transcript than non-pregnant group and unconditioned media treatments. Supernatant from T cell derived from pregnant cows modulates trophoblast mRNA transcript abundances differently from T cell supernatant of non-pregnant cows.