effect of polarized human uterine epithelial cells on mouse embryo development and blastocyst cellularity

introduction: the aim of this study was to investigate the growth and development of mouse two cell embryo on human uterine polarized monolayers. material and methodes: human endometrial tissue was obtained from patients who had undergone total hysterectomy. then, epithelial cells were isolated by collagenase i 0.25% and cultured on either ecm gel coated millipore filter insert (polarized) or plastic surface(non-polarized). epithelial nature of cells cultured on plastic confirmed using immunohistochemistry and the polarized state of cells cultured on ecm gel evaluated bytem transmission electron microscopy. two cell embryo of superovulated nmri mouse were then flushed and cultured either on polarized or non polarized cells and medium alone. the rate of development in all groups were daily determined and statistically compared. at the end of cultivation period, trophoectoderm and icm part of expanded blastocyst from each group were differentially stained by propidium iodide and hochst and the mean number of blastocyst were counted and statistically compared. results: our results showed that the cells cultured on ecm gel had highly polarized columnar shape compared to flattened shape of cells cultured on plastic surface. the two cell embryo cultured on polarized monolayer had higher developmental rate than those from non-polarized cells, although there was no statistic difference, but the blastocyst from polarized monolayer had significantly more mean cell number compared to non-polarized group. conclusion: taken together, we concluded that polarized cells could improve the embryo development from two cell stage in the term of quality (increasing blastocyst cellularity)rather than developmental rate.