Synergistic effects of sex hormone on the expression and function of TLRs in an immortalized fallopian tube cell line

Abstract

Toll Like Receptors recognise pathogen-associated molecular patterns and constitute a major part of the innate immune system. Little has been done to identify TLRs expression and function under influence of sex hormone in the female reproductive tract, particularly in the fallopian tubes. The aims of this study were to test the synergistic effects of sex hormones on the expression and function of TLRs in an immortalised human fallopian tube epithelial cell line (OE-E6/E7).The OE-E6/E7cell line was treated by estradiol and progesterone and were divided into four groups; control (without any additional treatment of sex hormone), Menstruation (1nM progesterone and 0.1nM estradiol), Preovulation (6.5nM progesterone and1.5nM estradiol) and window of implantation (35nM progesterone and 1nM estradiol). Relative TLRs 1-6 expression quantities were compared between these groups using real time quantitative PCR. In addition the synergistic effect of sex hormones was investigated on the function of TLR3 in OE-E6/E7 cells by treating these cells with poly I:C (25 µg/ml for 24 hours) in these four groups and measuring IL-6 production using ELISA. The expression of TLRs 1-6 was altered in OE-E6/E7 with different concentrations of sex hormones. The highest expression of all the TLR genes was in window of implantation group, compared to all other groups. IL-6 production was significantly increased in the presence of poly (I:C) in OE-E6/E7 cells in all groups. Although presence of increasing levels of sex hormones enhanced TLR3 response to its specific ligand (poly (I:C)) in OEE6/E7 cells. Further experiments are in progress to elucidate the regulatory mechanism behind this novel effect of sex hormones in modulating innate immunity in the human female reproductive tract.