Relaxin supports implantation and early pregnancy in the marmoset monkey.

To test the hypothesis that relaxin is an important factor supporting implantation, two approaches have been carried out using a human-relevant animal model, the marmoset monkey. First, uterine mRNA transcription and protein expression during the implantation phase in the conceptive and nonconceptive cycles were examined. Second, functional parameters were analyzed to assess the in vivo effects of exogenous applied relaxin throughout implantation. Relaxin and its receptor, RXFP1, were highly upregulated shortly before and during the physical process of implantation, indicating that relaxin is an important factor for remodeling and immunotolerance. The action of relaxin on the uterus was accompanied by an increase of estrogen-associated factors and macrophage infiltration, suggesting redundant systems necessary for successful implantation. The data from relaxin-treated animals supported those obtained from naive tissues in terms of increases in angiogenesis as well as earlier and faster growth of the uterus and placenta in the relaxin-treated marmoset monkey group, resulting in parturition 7-10 days earlier than the control group, but not pathological. In general, relaxin is very effective in preparing the endometrium for implantation. These findings should encourage further clinical research regarding introducing relaxin for pathological pregnancies, such as early pregnancy failure or insufficient placenta.

The common marmoset monkey as a model for implantation and early pregnancy research.

This chapter describes methods used to investigate implantation in the common marmoset monkey, Callithrix jacchus. A reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction-strategy with which to detect transcripts for steroid receptors and enzymes involved in estradiol biosynthesis is described, and an immunohistochemistry approach for detecting proteins within the implantation site is presented.

Immortalisation of ovarian granulosa and Theca cells of the marmoset monkey Calllithrix jacchus.

In view of the increasing need for laboratory primates in biomedical research it is desirable to develop appropriate primate-specific cell culture models that could prevent or significantly reduce the increasing use of primary cultures and experiments with living animals. Follicular granulosa and theca cells are essential for the control of hormone-dependent processes such as the ovarian cycle and pregnancy, but also for the occurrence of hormone-dependent diseases. For this reason it is of great interest to know more about control mechanisms existing in these follicular cell types and the effect of pharmacological or toxicological agents on them. An immortalisation protocol for the two ovarian cell types of the marmoset monkey (Callithrix jacchus) has been developed. All cell lines established so far were examined with regard to the maintenance of known, tissue-specific features (e.g. hormone responsiveness and enzyme expression). The results obtained indicate that it is worth while cloning and characterising the cell lines in more detail so that they could be used after an adequate validation as a defined test system both for basic research as well as for pharmacological or toxicological screening.