The effect of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin-4 and interleukin-10 on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated production of prostaglandin E ₂ by cultured human decidual cells

We hypothesized that interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) diminish production of PGE2 by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated cultured human decidual cells. Decidual cells from six women undergoing elective cesarean delivery without labor at term were cultured to confluence and incubated with LPS (10 ng/mL) with and without IL-4 and IL-10 (10 ng/mL) and the supernatant assayed for PGE2. PGE2 concentration in non-treated cells (NT) was 16,693 ± 8991 pg/mL and in cells incubated with IL-4 alone was 13,490 ± 5729 pg/mL, not statistically different from that of the NT cells. Incubation with LPS increased PGE2 concentration (32,540 ± 18,795 pg/mL) compared to NT cells (p = 0.02). PGE2 concentration in cells co-incubated with IL-4 and LPS (8975 ± 5249 pg/mL) was lower than in the LPS-alone group (p = 0.005). PGE2 concentration in cells co-incubated with IL-10 and LPS was 29,644 ± 25,085 pg/mL, not different from the LPS-alone group. IL-4 reduced LPS-stimulated PGE2 production in decidual cells while IL-10 did not. IL-4 is a potential immunomodulatory agent in decidual inflammation.