Journal of Reproductive Immunology 51 (2001) 145–158 The effect of Ureaplasma diersum activated mononuclear leukocytes on the development and interferon- production by bovine IVF-derived embryos  Anna Chelmon ´ ska-Soyta a, *, Lucyna Ka ˛tska b , Maciej Kurpisz c , Tadeusz Stefaniak a , Michal Zimecki d a Department of Veterinary Preention and Immunology, Agriculture Uniersity of Wroclaw, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, C.K. Norwida Str.31, 50 -375 Wroclaw, Poland b National Research Institute of Animal Production, Department of Animal Reproduction, 32 -083 Balice, Poland c Institute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan ´ , Poland d Institute of Immunology and Experimental Therapy, Polish Academy of Science, Wroclaw, Poland Received 4 January 2001; received in revised form 12 March 2001; accepted 19 March 2001 Abstract Ureaplasma diersum is an opportunistic pathogen of the bovine genital tract causing herd outbreaks of granular vulvitis, abortion and infertility. Early embryonic death probably contributes to reduction of the reproductive performance in cows, however, pathogenesis of the disease remains obscure. The aim of the study was to examine whether activation of mononuclear leukocytes by U. diersum may affect embryo development and IFN- produc- tion. Bovine peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes were cultured with U.diersum antigen for 24 h. The levels of IL-1, TNF-, NO and GM-CSF in the cell culture supernatants were measured. IVF-derived embryos were cultured in the presence of supernatants from activated leukocytes. The development of embryos until day 6 postinsemination and the rate of morulae/blastocysts were determined. IFN- production in supernatants of cultured embryos was examined by inhibition of a virally-induced cytopathic effect. The results showed that U. www.elsevier.com/locate/jreprimm  Paper presented at the 3rd Congress of the European Society for Reproductive and Developmental Immunology, Poznan, Poland, September 2000. * Corresponding author. Tel.: +48-71-3205236; fax: +48-71-3283576. E-mail address: acsoy@ozi.ar.wroc.pl (A. Chelmon ´ ska-Soyta). 0165-0378/01/$ - see front matter © 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. PII:S0165-0378(01)00073-0