The application of scid mouse technology to questions in reproductive biology.

Mice expressing the scid gene have been used to study major questions in the field of reproductive immunology. Transfer of Mus caroli embryos to the uteri of pseudopregnant scid/scid mice disproved the hypothesis that antigen-specific immune rejection of fetuses was occurring in this model of midgestational pregnancy failure. The results of breeding studies of mice having the scid/scid.bg/bg genotype suggested that uterine lymphocytes have little or no role in promoting embryonic survival under pathogen-free conditions. Further, the results of in vitro studies using uterine lymphocytes from these immunodeficient mice suggested that the cytokines important for pregnancy success were not lymphocyte-derived. Xenogeneic engraftment of embryonic and uterine tissues into scid/scid and scid/scid.bg/bg mice is also successful and has the potential for facilitating studies of the fetomaternal interface in domestic animal species, such as cows and horses, as well as in humans.