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Paradoxical expression of NRP1 in decidual stromal and immune cells reveals a novel inflammation balancing mechanism during early pregnancy

  • Original Research Paper
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Abstract

Objective and design

To investigate the balancing mechanisms between decidualization-associated inflammation and pregnancy-related immunotolerance.

Material or subjects

Decidual samples from women with normal pregnancy (n = 58) or unexplained spontaneous miscarriage (n = 13), peripheral blood from normal pregnancy and endometria from non-pregnancy (n = 10) were collected. Primary endometrial stromal cells (ESCs), decidual stromal cells (DSCs), decidual immune cells (DICs) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated.

Treatment

The plasmid carrying neuropilin-1 (NRP1) gene was transfected into ESC for overexpression. To induce decidualization in vitro, ESCs were treated with a combination of 10 nM estradiol, 100 nM progesterone and 0.5 mM cAMP. Anti-Sema3a and anti-NRP1 neutralizing antibodies were applied to block the ligand–receptor interactions.

Methods

RNA-seq analysis was performed to identify differentially expressed genes in DSCs and DICs, and NRP1 expression was verified by Western blotting and flow cytometry. The secretion of inflammatory mediators was measured using a multifactor cytometric bead array. The effects of Sema3a-NRP1 pathway on DICs were determined by flow cytometry. Statistical differences between groups were compared using the T test and one way or two-way ANOVA.

Results

Combined with five RNA-seq datasets, NRP1 was the only immune checkpoint changing oppositely between DSCs and DICs. The decreased expression of NRP1 in DSCs allowed intrinsic inflammatory responses required for decidualization, while its increased expression in DICs enhanced tolerant phenotypes beneficial to pregnancy maintenance. DSC-secreted Sema3a promoted immunosuppression in DICs via NRP1 binding. In women with miscarriage, NRP1 was abnormally elevated in DSCs but diminished in decidual macrophages and NK cells.

Conclusion

NRP1 is a multifunctional controller that balances the inflammatory states of DSCs and DICs in gravid uterus. Abnormal expression of NRP1 is implicated in miscarriage.

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Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its supplementary information files. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

We thank all the patients who participated in our study. We are also grateful to all the members in our laboratory for their help.

Funding

This work was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82271713, 31970859, 81630036, 91542116, 31570920, 32070915, 31900663), National Science and Technology Program during the 13th Five-year Plan Period (2021YFE0206500), International cooperation project between Macao and Shanghai Municipal Commission of science and technology (20410760300), Strategic Collaborative Research Program of the Ferring Institute of Reproductive Medicine (FIRMA200504).

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  1. Jiajia Chen and Yanhong Li have contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Reproductive Immunology, NHC Key Lab of Reproduction Regulation, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Female Reproductive Endocrine Related Diseases, Hospital of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shanghai Institute of Planned Parenthood Research), Fudan University Shanghai Medical College, Zhao Zhou Road 413, Shanghai, 200032, China

    Jiajia Chen, Yanhong Li, Ling Xu, Yifei Sang, Dajin Li & Meirong Du

  2. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Shanghai Fourth People’s Hospital, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200434, China

    Meirong Du

  3. State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and School of Pharmacy, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau SAR, 519020, China

    Meirong Du

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Contributions

JC and YL collected human samples, performed experiments, analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. LX and YS generated figures, searched for literature and revised the manuscript. DL conceived the whole research and monitored the execution of this study strictly. MD designed the experiments, supplemented key materials, conducted data interpretation and revised the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Dajin Li or Meirong Du.

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This study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Fudan university. Written informed consents were obtained from all subjects for the collection and study of their tissue or blood samples.

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Chen, J., Li, Y., Xu, L. et al. Paradoxical expression of NRP1 in decidual stromal and immune cells reveals a novel inflammation balancing mechanism during early pregnancy. Inflamm. Res. 72, 1341–1357 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00011-023-01734-y

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