Effect of Mifepristone on Transforming Growth Factor -β and its Receptor Transcription in Decidua, Villi and Serum Tumor Necrosis Factor -α Level in Early Human Gestation

Objective To investigate the role of mifepristone in regulating cytokines of maternofetal interface and serum of human early gestation Methods Thirty-five women with early pregnancy received mifepristone 50 mg orally on study d 1 and d 2, respectively, followed by undergoing artificial abortion to get decidua and villi on study d 3. Twenty-five women with early pregnancy without mifepristone administration as control also underwent artificial abortion to get decidua and villi. The expressions of TGF-β1 and TGF-β1 receptor mRNA in the early decidua and villi were assessed by using RT-PCR . The concentrations of serum TNFα were measured by radioimmunoassay. Results The decidual expressions of TGFβ1 mRNA and TGF-β1 receptor mRNA in the treated group were significantly lower than those of the control (P<0.05), while the villus expressions of TGF-β1 and TGF-β1 receptor mRNA in the treated group were not significantly different from those of the control (P>0.05). The serum TNF-β1 levels elevated significantly after mifepristone treatment. Conclusion The antigestational effect of mifepristone might act through suppressing the transcription of TGF-β1 and TGF-β1 receptor in the decidua and increasing the serum TNF-α level, which interfered in the materno-fetal interface Th2 bias.