Seminal Plasma Induces Inflammation In The Uterus Through The Gamma Delta T/Il-17 Pathway

After insemination, a large number of leukocytes migrate into the uterus, which is accompanied by intense inflammation. However, the details of how seminal plasma interacts with the uterus are still not very clear. Here, we present that neutrophils migrate and accumulate around the uterine epithelium following insemination, which is accompanied by an increase in interleukin (IL) 17A levels. Additionally, we find that gamma delta T cells are the major source of IL-17A, and the seminal plasma could induce the gamma delta T cells to secret IL-17A. Blocking IL-17A could reduce the number of neutrophils in the uterus and prevent them from migrating to the epithelium by decreasing the chemokines CXCL1, CXCL2 and CXCL5. Blocking IL-17A did not affect the Th1/Th2 balance but actually diminished the inflammation in the uterus by reducing the expression of IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. In summary, we found a new mechanism by which seminal plasma could influence the inflammation in the uterus through the gamma delta T/IL-17 pathway to regulate the expression of various chemokines and cytokines.