Production of interleukin-1, interleukin-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the uterus of pseudopregnant mice.

Pseudopregnant mice were produced by mating normal cycling females with a vasectomized male. Interleukin-l (IL-I), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFeo) mRNA and bioactivity were detected between Days 1 and 8 in untreated pseudopregnant mice and during oil-induced decidualization. High concentrations of IL-I, IL-6, and TNFat mRNA and bioactivity were detected in the uterus within 12 h after mating, and both mRNA and bioactivity decreased progressively through Day 3. Peaks of IL-1, IL-6, and TNFo bioactivity were detected between Days 4 and 8. Oil-induced decidualization was associated with increased and prolonged production of IL-I and IL-6 and decreased production of TNFot relative to these values in uninjected controls. The dynamics of cytokine production in pseudopregnant mice were similar to those previously observed in pregnant mice.