Authors
Borah, S.
Abstract
Embryo implantation in pigs represents a complex immunological and biochemical interaction between the developing conceptus and the maternal endometrium. The present study investigated temporal changes in key cytokines associated with successful implantation and early pregnancy in pigs. Twelve healthy sows were divided equally into pregnant and non-pregnant groups. Blood samples were collected from day 0 to day 42 post-insemination at weekly intervals, and plasma concentrations of cytokines IFN, IL;, ILRA, and TNF were quantified using ELISA.A significant (p < 0.05) progressive increase was observed in all cytokines in pregnant pigs, indicating active immunomodulation during early gestation. IFN, IL, and TNF showed sharp elevations, reflecting their roles in endometrial receptivity, inflammation, and trophoblast invasion. Concurrently, ILRA, IL4 and IL10 exhibited marked increases, suggesting an anti-inflammatory shift crucial for maternal-fetal immune tolerance. The coordinated rise of IL6, IL8, IL12, and IL18 further indicated involvement in vascular remodeling and angiogenesis essential for placental development. In contrast, non-pregnant pigs displayed stable cytokine levels across all sampling points, confirming the absence of immune activation or inflammatory stimuli. These findings demonstrate that successful implantation in pigs is governed by a dynamic cytokine network balancing pro- and anti-inflammatory mediators. The interplay among these cytokines ensures immune tolerance, endometrial remodeling and vascular adaptation necessary for embryo attachment and maintenance of early pregnancy. The study highlights cytokine profiling as a potential biomarker approach for monitoring reproductive status in pigs.
Preprint server:
bioRxiv
The authors list and abstract were imported from bioRxiv on 04 Nov 2025.
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