Effect of Two Polarized Culture System Prepared From Human Female Genital Tract on Mouse Embryo Development

Purpose: To compare effects of polarized epithelial monolayer prepared from human oviduct and uterus on mouse one and two-cell embryo development. Materials and Methods: Human oviduct and endometrial tissue was obtained from patients who had undergone total hysterectomy. The epithelial cells were isolated from tissue and cultured on extracellular matrix (ECM) Gel coated Millipore filter insert under polarizing condition. The polarized state of cultured cells were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM).Two cell embryo of superovulated NMRI mouse were then flused and cultured either with oviduct or uterine polarized cell and medium alone. The rate of development in all groups were daily determined and statistically compared. At the end of cultivation period, some blastocyst from each group were differentially stained and mean cell number were counted and statistically compared. Results: Presence of tight junction between the cultured cells was evidenced in sections and confirmed polarized state of both kind of epitheial cells. These cells were columnar in shape. According to co-culture results, high precentage of one cell embryos overcame. developmental block and reached to blastocyst stage in both polarized groups as compared to control. Cell counting result showed that blastocyst's co-culture groups had more blastomere than that of control. Similarly two cell embryos in polarized groups showed increased development. All the observed differences showed statisticaly significant correlations. In polarized oviduct groups versus uterine, percenage of the embryos that overcame developmental block, blastocyst formation rate and the blastocyst cellularity were high and in uterine polarized groups, more blastocyst reached to hatching stage. Above mentioned differences between two polarized groups were not statistically significant. Conclusion: Both kind of polarized epithelial cells are significantly useful for mouse embryos development, but in this term there is no significant difference between oviduct and uterine cells. Although more percentage of embryos reach to higher stage (hatching blastocyst) when being cultured on uterine polarized group.