Parturition and Recruitment of Macrophages in Cervix of Mice Lacking the Prostaglandin F Receptor1

Macrophage numbers and nerve fiber density in the cervix of pregnant transgenic mice lacking the prostaglandin F receptor increased more than 3-fold on Days 18-19 of pregnancy.

• Parturition does not occur in transgenic mice without the prostaglandin F receptor due to sustained progesterone production.
• Ovariectomy in pregnant transgenic mice leads to reduced progesterone levels and successful delivery of live pups.
• Changes in macrophage numbers and nerve fiber density during pregnancy in transgenic mice resemble those in wild-type controls that deliver at term.
• Ovariectomy prevents the decrease in cervical macrophages in transgenic mice, resulting in elevated macrophage numbers by Day 21 after breeding.
• Collagen structure density in the cervix correlates directly with macrophage traffic in transgenic mice.

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