Premature implantation may be prevented by an inhibitory system regulated by epidermal growth factor.
Using immunohistochemical methods at both light and electron microscopical levels, we have studied epidermal growth factor in the uterine epithelium during early pregnancy and up to the time of blastocyst implantation. We report that the distribution of this growth factor changed markedly over the period of study and that it was gradually de-expressed across the entire uterine epithelium as pregnancy advanced towards the time of implantation. At the electron microscopical level, immunogold labelling clearly showed label associated with both lateral and basal plasma membranes very early in pregnancy but not by the time of implantation. We suggest that the de-expression of this molecule may indicate its role in the removal of mechanisms which inhibit uterine receptivity for implantation.
Slater
M
M
Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Murphy
C R
CR
D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000502:physiology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism
D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor