Effect of estradiol, prostaglandin E2 and prostaglandin F2.ALPHA. on incorporation of (3H)uridine by preimplantation mouse embryos in vitro.

Abstract

To determine whether estrogen and prostaglandins have a direct effect on the preimplantation embryo, the effect of these compounds added to mouse embryos in vitro was examined. Embryos were incubated in culture media containing [3H]uridine with or without the substances to be tested. The addition of estradiol (10(-8)M) and prostaglandin F2 alpha (1 microgram/ml or 10 micrograms/ml) stimulated the incorporation of uridine into RNA. However, prostaglandin E2 at a concentration of 10 micrograms/ml had an inhibitory effect. These findings indicate that estradiol and prostaglandin F2 alpha may have, in addition to an indirect effect mediated by uterine factors, a direct effect on embryonic growth that activates embryos to implant.

Effects of Coculture with Uterine Epithelial Cells on the Metabolism of Glucose by Mouse Morulae and Early Blastocysts

“…This fraction contains the majority of the non-glycogen macromolecules of the embryo, and thus there would appear to be an anabolic effect of non-pregnant but not of pregnant endometrial epithelial cells at this time. Since prostaglandins are reported to have an anabolic effect on embryo metabolism in vitro (Uehara et al 1984;Khurana and Wales 1987b), one possible explanation for the above finding could be the greater synthesis of PGF 2a by cells from nonpregnant uteri than cells from pregnant uteri (Maule-Walker and Poyser 1974). The recent finding that there are differences in synthesis and secretion of proteins by isolated epithelial endometrial cells recovered from pregnant and non-pregnant animals (Salamonsen et af.…”