| First Author | Robb L | Year | 1998 |
| Journal | Nat Med | Volume | 4 |
| Issue | 3 | Pages | 303-8 |
| PubMed ID | 9500603 | Mgi Jnum | J:46263 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:1197428 | Doi | 10.1038/nm0398-303 |
| Citation | Robb L, et al. (1998) Infertility in female mice lacking the receptor for interleukin 11 is due to a defective uterine response to implantation. Nat Med 4(3):303-8 |
| abstractText | During early pregnancy, in response to the implanting embryo, the surrounding uterine stroma undergoes a dramatic transformation into a specialized tissue known as the decidua. The decidua encapsulates the developing embryo, facilitating nutrient transfer and limiting trophoblast invasion. Here we show that female mice with a null mutation of the interleukin-11 receptor alpha chain are infertile because of defective decidualization. A temporal analysis revealed IL-11 expression is maximal in the normal pregnant uterus at the time of decidualization, and in situ hybridization studies showed expression of the IL-11 and the IL-11 receptor alpha chain in the developing decidual cells. These observations reveal a previously unrecognized critical role for IL-11 signaling in female reproduction. |
