Abstract
Objectives
We wanted to explore the effects of two different low doses (0.5 μM and 0.05 μM) of mifepristone, exposed during the receptive period, on the human embryo implantation
process, using a well-established three-dimensional in vitro cell culture model, specifically
developed to study this process.
Methods
An in vitro three-dimensional cell culture model was constructed using human endometrial
cells isolated from the endometrium of proven fertile women, collected on cycle day
LH+4. After 5 days of culture, supernumerary human embryos were added and cultured for
another 5 days with mifepristone 0.5 μM (n=8) or 0.05 μM (n=10) or vehicle as control (n=10). The cultures were checked for embryo attachment and terminated. We studied the
expression of 16 reported endometrial receptivity markers in the endometrial constructs
using real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results
None of the embryos in 0.5 μM of mifepristone attached to the endometrial constructs (p=.004), whereas 4 out of 10 in 0.05 μM (p=.3698) and 7 out of 10 embryos in the control group attached to the cultures. We found
that most of the studied receptivity markers were significantly altered with mifepristone
exposure in a similar direction in both treatment groups. Only IL6 was significantly
differentially expressed between the treatment groups (p=.017).
Conclusion
We report for the first time that exposure to a low concentration (0.5 μM) of mifepristone during the receptive period successfully inhibits human embryo
implantation process in vitro. Further, we observed a dose-dependent effect of mifepristone
on endometrial receptivity at the functional level.
Implication
This study contributes new knowledge that low dose of mifepristone during the short
period of receptive phase can inhibit endometrial receptivity, which further promotes
mifepristone as a contraceptive agent. This could give women a treatment choice to
avoid unwanted pregnancy with high efficacy and minimal side effects.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: March 19, 2016
Accepted:
March 14,
2016
Received in revised form:
February 18,
2016
Received:
November 23,
2015
Identification
Copyright
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