Effect of peritoneal fluid from women with endometriosis on implantation in the mouse model

Extracts from a traditional Chinese herbal remedy (Zhuyun recipe) improve endometrial receptivity in mice with embryonic implantation dysfunction and ovulation stimulation

“…Modern pharmacological study suggests that icarrin, Morinda officinalis How and China Dodder have estrogen-like effects (Li et al, 1997;Qin et al, 2000;Chen et al, 2009), this study is in agreement with the results shown in the previous mouse studies, which reported that both LIF and integrin ␤3 subunit expression in the endometrium were under maternal control and were regulated by circulating estrogen levels (Bhatt et al, 1991;Yang et al, 1996;Illera et al, 2000b). In the human, a significantly higher endometrial thickness, the rate of type I endometrium and pregnancy rate was observed on the day of HCG administration in the herral Kunbao granule treatment group (Zhou et al, 2006).…”

“…Immunohistochemical analysis showed that the LIF and integrin ␤3 subunit were mainly located in endometrial glandular epithelial and luminal epithelial cells. The immunohistochemical location of both LIF and integrin ␤3 subunit in the mouse uterus at the time of implantation window was similar to that in the previous studies in mice (Bhatt et al, 1991;Illera et al, 2000b). The results of the present study show that (i) traditional Chinese herbal remedy has a good effect on the pregnant rate and embryonic implantation; (ii) this study support viewpoint that endometrial expression of LIF and integrin ␤3 subunit positively correlates with endometrial receptivity and embryonic implantation (Cavagna and Mantese, 2003;Hoozemans et al, 2004;Kondera-Anasz et al, 2004); (iii) TCM may improve endometrial receptivity at least in part by reinforcing the expression of endometrial LIF and integrin ␤3 subunit.…”

“…Previous studies on early mouse pregnancy have shown that LIF and integrin ␤3 subunit appeared in the endometrium coinciding with the implantation window and might be used as markers of endometrial receptivity (Bhatt et al, 1991;Illera et al, 2000b). Targeted disruption of the LIF gene (Stewart et al, 1992) or blockade of the alpha (v)beta(3) integrin could adversely affect implantation in mice (Illera et al, 2000a).…”

Leukemia inhibitory factor is dysregulated in the endometrium and uterine flushing fluid of patients with adenomyosis during implantation window

“…A striking result is that women with idiopathic infertility showed LIF deficiency even more pronounced than infertile patients with known etiology. In contrast, other studies reported no change in endometrial LIF mRNA or secretion from endometrial biopsy specimens acquired from infertile women, when compared with fertile controls (21,22). In our study, we found that women with adenomyosis showed lower LIF levels in uterine flushing fluid compared with controls, although this difference failed to reach statistical significance.…”

L-carnitine supplementation reduces oocyte cytoskeleton damage and embryo apoptosis induced by incubation in peritoneal fluid from patients with endometriosis

“…It is a common gynecologic disorder that affects approximately 14% of all women, 30% to 50% of infertile women, and 84% of women with infertility and pelvic pain (1,2). Surgically induced endometriosis in rats results in decreased fecundity (3), and intraperitoneal injections of peritoneal fluid (PF) from women with endometriosis into mice lowers the implantation rate (4). Moderate or severe endometriosis causes infertility due to mechanical disruption of ovulation or efficient gamete transport (5).…”