Objective: To establish a mouse model for endometrial injury and determine the underlying mechanism regarding its favorable effect on embryo implantation.
Study design: Female Kunming mice were randomly allocated into 4 groups: group I, normal control; group II, injury procedure control; and group III and group IV, the mice being scratched with a blunt syringe on the right uterine horn or both, respectively. All the mice were mated with the males during the next estrus phase. The number of implanted embryos on each side of uterus was calculated on day 8 of pregnancy. The endometrial samples were taken on day 4 of pregnancy, and the local morphological changes and cytokine expressions were examined.
Results: Compared to group II, our results showed that in group IV (1) there were significantly higher numbers of implanted embryos, (2) the endometrial glands and vasculatures in stroma were obviously increased and the pinopodes were abundant and well developed, and (3) the local levels of cytokines leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and oncostatin M (OSM) messenger RNA and protein expression were significantly increased.
Conclusions: Local mechanical injury on mouse uteri enhanced endometrial receptivity and improved embryo implantation, which were correlated with the characteristic changes in endometrial morphology and the upregulation of LIF and OSM gene and protein expression.
Keywords: endometrial receptivity; leukemia inhibitory factor; local endometrial injury; mouse model; oncostatin M.
© The Author(s) 2015.