Effects of intrauterine devices on nuclear deoxyribonucleic acid metabolism in rabbit blastocysts: an autoradiographic study.
A metabolic parameter, DNA synthesis, was measured in rabbit blastocysts exposed to Silastic intrauterine devices (IUDs) and compared with those without IUD exposure. Autoradiographic detection of 3H-thymidine uptake showed that the IUD-exposed blastocysts contained fewer labeled cells than their IUD-free equivalents. The depressed DNA synthesis may be caused by either a block in the cell cycle or a block in DNA synthesis itself. Either way, the result could be consistent with the observation that embryo deaths occur at all growth stages, preimplantation, during implantation, and postimplantation.
D000818:Animals; D001345:Autoradiography; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000378:metabolism*; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D005260:Female; D007434:Intrauterine Devices; D011817:Rabbits; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
D004247:DNA; D013936:Thymidine