Full Description
Early embryonic loss is a continuing social and economic global problem. In human populations the estimates of interruptions early in pregnancy range from 35-60%. In animal husbandry (swine, ruminants) fully 30% of pregnancies fail to survive early events of gestation. The futility associated with this persistant high risk is even more unsettling because of advances made in assisted reproductive technology which, although this very selective methodology has added to our knowledge of embryo-endometrial interactions, has resulted in a birth rate of only 14%. These studies have instigated comparisons of the live relative contributions of the embryo and the uterus to the outcome of pregnancy. These analyses have shown that we have learned significantly less about the role of the uterus in deciding the outcome of either natural or assisted pregnancies. In 1979 a quotation by George Corner was used to set the tone of a meeting that was devoted to discussion of the cellular and molecular aspects of implantation. In spite of the proliferation in research activity which occurred in the following 15 years our real understanding of the embryo transfer process has fallen short of our expectations. We use the Corner quotation, once again, to preface this symposium so that we may recall that the fundamental nature of the process which regulates embryo-endometrial interactions still escapes us.
Contents
Endocrinology of Embryo-Endometrial Interactions: A Hundred Years of Fascinating Discoveries.- Contributions of Comparative Studies to Understanding Mechanisms of Implantation.- Uterine Receptivity: Experimental Studies.- Cell Biology of Endometrial Receptivity and of Trophoblast-Endometrial Interactions.- Progesterone Directed Gene Expression in Rat Uterine Stromal Cells.- Cellular Aspects of Implantation in Ruminants.- Expression and Regulation of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-1 and Retinol Binding Protein in the Baboon (Papio anubis) Uterus.- The Expression of Peptidase Antigens, CD10/Neutral Endopeptidase, CD13/Aminopeptidase N and CD26/Dipeptidyl Peptidase IV in Human Endometrium.- Angiogenesis in the Rat Uterus During Pregnancy.- Uterine Receptivity: Clinical Studies.- Receptive and Refractory Period in Human Implantation.- Implantation of Human Blastocysts Following In Vitro Fertilization.- Characterization of the Human Endometrium in Relation to Implantation.- The M.C. Chang Memorial Lecture.- RU486: After Ten Years Novel Molecules and Reproductive Medicine.- Pregnancy Recognition.- Pregnancy Recognition.- Hemopoietic Cytokine Regulation of Trophoblast Interferon, Ovine Trophoblast Protein.- Involvement of Local Mediators in Blastocyst Implantation.- Immunoendocrine Functions of Trophoblast Interferons (IFN-? or TP-l or Trophoblastins) in the Maternal Recognition of Pregnancy.- The Decidual Hormones and Their Role in Pregnancy Recognition.- Endometrial Responses To Receptivity.- Embryo-Endometrial Interactions.- Insulin-Like Growth Factors and Their Binding Proteins in the Endometrium.- Insulin-Like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2) Expression at the Embryonic-Maternal Boundary.- Colony Stimulating Factor-1 in the Female Reproductive Tract During the Pre- andPeri-Implantation Periods.- Leukaemia Inhibitory Factor and the Regulation of Blastocyst Implantation.- Carbohydrates and Implantation of the Mammalian Embryo.- In Vitro Analysis of Epithelial Surface Changes During Implantation.- Steroid Regulation of Inflammatory Responses in the Reproductive Tract.- In Vitro Systems to Study Embryo-Maternal Interactions.- The Interaction of Trophoblast with Endometrial Stroma.- Induction of Different Gap Junction Connexins in Response to Embryo Implantation.- Changes in Integrin Expression Reflect a Stepwise Differentiation Program in Mouse and Human Trophoblast.- Matrix Metalloproteinases: A Role in Implantation?.- Controlled Extracellular Matrix Degradation: A Fundamental Mechanism in the Implantation Process.- The Next Years.- Future Prospect of Research on Endocrinology of Embryo-Endometrial Interactions.
