Figure 11.

Illustration on the effect of IL-1β and 15dPGJ2 on myocytes, vaginal and amnion epithelial cells. Pre-incubation of 15dPGJ2 in myocytes for 2 hours inhibited IL-1β induced activation of the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1. This led to inhibition of cytokine expression and PGE2 production. In VECs and AECs, 15dPGJ2 inhibited IL-1β-stimulated NF-κB but led to activation of AP-1. A downstream inhibition of the pro-labour cytokines IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α was seen in VECs. In contrast upregulation of IL-8 was seen in AECs. PGE2 production was increased both VECs and AECs following treatment with 15dPGJ2, and this may be due to AP-1 activation. In addition, increased cell death was seen in VECs and AECs with 15dPGJ2 treatment. We conclude that 15dPGJ2 has differential effects depending on cell type, and due to its ability to increase the production of pro-labour and pro- inflammatory mediators, we would not advocate its development as a novel therapeutic strategy for preterm birth prevention. Created with BioRender.com