%0 Journal Article
%T Comparison of LPS-stimulated release of cytokines in punch versus transwell tissue culture systems of human gestational membranes
%A Mark F Miller
%A Rita Loch-Caruso
%J Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology
%D 2010
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1477-7827-8-121
%X Tissue samples were exposed to 100 ng/ml LPS for 12 h and cytokines were measured by ELISA. Data are expressed as increase relative to non-treated controls.Levels of interleukin-6 increased in punch culture medium samples to a significantly greater extent (34.2 fold) compared with medium from transwell cultures in the amnion (6.6 fold) or choriodecidual (7.1 fold) compartments. Interleukin-8 also showed a significantly greater induction in punch (4.8 fold) than transwell amnion (1.6 fold) or choriodecidual (1.7 fold) samples. The anti-inflammatory interleukin-10 showed a significant difference between punch (36.5 fold) and transwell amnion (15.4 fold) samples, but no difference was observed between punch and transwell choriodecidual (28.5 fold) samples. Neither interleukin-1beta nor tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) showed a significant difference between the punch and transwell samples.These results indicate that the pattern of LPS-stimulated cytokine release from gestational membranes in vitro depends on the culture system used, confounding comparisons of studies that use different gestational membrane culture systems to study inflammatory responses.Gestational membranes (amnion, chorion laeve and decidua) collected immediately after birth and cultured in vitro allow assessment of responses in tissues with an intact cellular matrix. As such, cultures of human gestational membranes provide useful in vitro research models for inquiries into obstetric challenges such as inflammation, preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) and preterm birth.One model system used extensively to study stimulated production and release of cytokines in human gestational membranes in vitro involves explant culture of a biopsy punch, with the gestational tissue punch explant free-floating in culture medium. Biopsy punch explant cultures may use full-thickness membranes [1,2] as well as separated amnion [3,4] or choriodecidua [5,6]. This single-compartment explant culture syste
%U http://www.rbej.com/content/8/1/121