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Boar seminal immunosuppressive fraction attenuates the leptin concentration and restores the thymus mass during pregnancy in mice

L Veselsk, V Holá, J Dostál¹ and B elezná

Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 166 37 Prague 6, Czech Republic and ¹ Institute of Animal Physiology and Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, 277 21 Libchov, Czech Republic

Correspondence should be addressed to L Veselsk; Email: veselsky{at}img.cas.cz

The immunosuppressive fraction (ISF) of boar seminal vesicle fluid was recently demonstrated to inhibit production of T helper (Th)1 cytokines and enhance production of Th2 cytokines. The present study shows the effect of the ISF on leptin concentrations in blood plasma and adipose tissue in mice during pregnancy. The ISF effect on thymus weight during pregnancy is also demonstrated. The leptin concentration in blood plasma and adipose tissue increased and remained high in the latter half of pregnancy. ISF treatment at the beginning of pregnancy significantly lowered the leptin concentration both in blood plasma and adipose tissue of pregnant mice. Thymus involution has been described previously in pregnant mice. ISF treatment compensated for the loss of thymus mass during the whole pregnancy in the ISF-treated mice. The treatment of pregnant mice with ISF did not affect pregnancy and litter size.