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5 - Molecular Mechanisms of Implantation

from PART I - PHYSIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  04 August 2010

By
F. Domínguez ,
Carlos Simón  and
Juan A. Garcia-Velasco
Edited by
Botros R. M. B. Rizk ,
Juan A. Garcia-Velasco ,
Hassan N. Sallam  and
Antonis Makrigiannakis
Botros R. M. B. Rizk
Affiliation:
University of South Alabama
Juan A. Garcia-Velasco
Affiliation:
Rey Juan Carlos University School of Medicine,
Hassan N. Sallam
Affiliation:
University of Alexandria School of Medicine
Antonis Makrigiannakis
Affiliation:
University of Crete
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Summary

INTRODUCTION

Successful implantation requires a functionally normal embryo at the blastocyst stage and a receptive endometrium, while a communication link between them is also vital. This process is a highly regulated mechanism with the involvement of many systems at the paracrine-autocrine levels. Not only human implantation needs this kind of dialogue, but also in other species, like mouse or primates, this cross-communication has been described before (1, 2).

During apposition, human blastocysts find a location to implant, in a specific area of the maternal endometrium. In the adhesion phase, which occurs six to seven days after ovulation, within the “implantation window,” direct contact occurs between the endometrial epithelium (EE) and the trophoectoderm (TE). Finally, in the invasion phase, the embryonic trophoblast breaches the basement membrane, invading the endometrial stroma and reaching the uterine vessels.

The EE is a monolayer of cuboidal cells that covers the interior of the uterus. As a reproductive tract mucosal barrier, EE must provide continuous protection against pathogens that gain access to the uterine cavity, while allowing embryonic implantation, a unique event crucial for the continuation of the species in mammals. Initial adhesion of the TE of the embryo to the EE plasma membrane is the prerequisite for implantation and placental development. EE is a specialized hormonally regulated cell population that must undergo cyclical morphological and biochemical changes to maintain an environment suitable for preimplantation embryonic development.

Keywords

chemokinesDNA microarrays technologyembryo implantationendometrial receptivityleukocyte transendothelial migrationgene regulation
Type
Chapter
Information
Infertility and Assisted Reproduction , pp. 46 - 52
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

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