Reproduction Abstracts

Introduction: Several subsets of uterine natural killer lymphocytes (uNK cells) home to early decidua basalis in rodents and humans. UNK cells peak at midgestion when uNK cells synthesizing the angiokines placenta growth factor (PGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Delta-like ligand 1 (DLL1) are dominant. UNK cell-driven angiogenesis regulates the timing of both uterine lumen closure and early, post-implantation conceptus development. UNK cells contribute to ort...

The implantation process requires well-coordinated interactions between the maternal uterus and the developing embryo. In pigs, embryo implantation begins around day (D) 12 of pregnancy. During this period, the conceptus undergoes a dramatic morphological change and the elongated filamentous conceptus secretes various biological products such as estrogens and cytokines, interleukin-1β (IL1B), interferon-γ (IFNG), and IFN-δ (IFND). In response to these conceptus ...

Endometrial function is orchestrated by endogenous ovarian steroid hormones, oestradiol (E) and progesterone (P). P plays a crucial role in the functional modification of the endometrium in preparation for pregnancy (differentiation of stromal fibroblasts, maturation of spiral arterioles and influx of immune cells). In the peri-menstrual phase cyclical tissue ‘injury and repair’ in the local endometrial environment is a consequence of P-withdrawal which initiates a c...