title: The complete control of murine pregnancy from embryo implantation to parturition.
abstract: The ovary is the main secretory source of progestin and estrogen and is indispensable to the maintenance of all events of pregnancy in mice. The purpose of this study was to control all processes of pregnancy in mice, from embryo implantation to parturition, without ovaries. The ovaries were removed before embryo implantation, and a single injection of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) was given. Embryo implantation was induced by leukemia inhibitory factor, which can substitute 17β-estradiol (E(2)). Continuous exposure to E(2) was necessary at mid-pregnancy, when placentation was completed. All mice sustained pregnancy without ovaries before parturition, which was initiated by the removal of E(2) and MPA. Murine pregnancy is a complicated process involving embryo implantation, placentation, and parturition. Complete control of pregnancy was achieved with the simple treatment of MPA and E(2) after induction of embryo implantation. Here, time-dependent events in the uterus during pregnancy could be realized without the ovaries, because the initiation of each event could be stringently controlled by hormonal treatments.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Morphology, Division of Biofunctional Development, Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan.
authors.forename: Jumpei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Terakawa
authors.forename: Takaho
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Rutsuko
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Obara
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Yasushige
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ohmori
authors.forename: Yoshinao Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Hosaka
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hondo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice / Q000502:physiology; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010052:Ovariectomy; D036801:Parturition / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D004958:Estradiol