Selective permeability of the blood-uterine lumen barrier in rats: importance of molecular size

To investigate the influence of molecular size on the abilities of polar, nonelectrolytic substances to diffuse passively across the blood-uterine lumen barrier, the abilities of [3H] mannitol, [3H] sucrose and [3H] inulin (mol. wt. 182, 342 and 5200, respectively) to enter uterine luminal fluid from blood were compared in immature, ovariectomized rats implanted for 3 days with Silastic capsules containing estradiol. Relatively constant serum radioactivity concentrations were achieved for the period of 1-4 h after intravenous injection of the test substances by tightly ligating the renal pedicles of all animals prior to injection. Although uterine fluid radioactivity concentrations for [3H] inulin increased significantly between 1 and 4 h after injection, those for [3H] sucrose and [3H] mannitol did not change significantly with time, thus preventing calculation of conventional permeability indices. Therefore, the ratios of uterine fluid to serum radioactivity concentrations 2 h after intravenous injection of the test substances into animals with ligated renal pedicles were determined; the ratios (means +/- SEM) for [3H] mannitol, [3H] sucrose and [3H]-inulin were 0.11 +/- 0.015, 0.038 +/- 0.011 and 0.037 +/- 0.012, respectively. As indicated by these ratios, the rate of transfer into the uterine lumen of [3H] mannitol relative to that of [3H] sucrose was markedly greater than predicted by the ratio of their respective aqueous diffusion coefficients at body temperature. This disproportionality suggested that diffusion across the blood-uterine lumen barrier by some substances is governed by molecular sieving (sterically restricted diffusion) and therefore that this barrier is selectively permeable to these substances on the basis of molecular size.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Enhanced endocytotic and transcytotic activity in the rat endometrium prior to embryo implantation

Background Understanding the mechanisms by which fluid absorption and secretion occur in the endometrium is clinically important since conditions that deregulate this process reduce fertility. It has been suggested that luminal epithelial cells induce a crucial step in the process of embryo implantation called uterine closure via endocytotic fluid uptake. Uterine lumen closure is a key step in the process of embryo implantation and is absent in some infertile strains of mice. Methods To investigate the process of uterine closure a ferritin-based tracer, used as a marker of endocytosis, was injected into the uterine lumen on day 5 of pregnancy when closure occurs. Results Unexpectedly, luminal epithelial uptake of tracer was minimal on day 5 of pregnancy discrediting endocytosis as the induction method of uterine closure. In contrast, ferritin was found deep in the stromal portion of the endometrium in pre-pregnant animals. Conclusions We have shown for the first time that uterine closure is not induced by luminal epithelial cell driven endocytosis. Another novel finding of this study was the passage of the tracer ferritin up to 15 cells deep into the endometrium suggesting an as yet unstudied mechanism by which information can be transported from the uterine lumen to the underlying stroma.     

Matrix metalloproteinases and endometrial remodelling.

Menstruation, angiogenesis, embryo implantation and placentation are natural processes involving degradation of the extracellular matrix within the endometrium. A number of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their natural tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) have now been identified in association with these processes. In particular, mRNA for proMMP-1 and proMMP-3 and for TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 are elevated in human endometrial tissue at menstruation compared with other times of the female reproductive cycle. ProMMPs -1, -2, -3 and -9 are released from cultured human endometrial stromal cells, production of all but proMMP-2 being regulated by cytokines known to be expressed in human endometrial epithelium. At least two gelatinases are released by ovine trophoblast in culture and can be flushed from the uterine lumen at the time of implantation. Thus, matrix metalloproteinases clearly have roles in normal endometrial functions.     

Development of a high-throughput assay for human proprotein convertase 5/6 for detecting uterine receptivity

Embryo implantation requires a healthy embryo and a receptive uterus. In women, the inner lining of the uterus, the endometrium, remains in a hostile state and becomes receptive for embryo implantation for only a short period during each menstrual cycle. Determining endometrial receptivity is vital in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment because the timing of embryo transfer needs to be synchronized with endometrial receptivity. We have previously demonstrated that proprotein convertase 5/6A (PC6) is highly expressed in the receptive endometrium and that PC6 is critical for receptivity establishment in women. Furthermore, endometrial PC6 is secreted into the uterine fluid, and levels correlate with receptivity status. Detection of PC6 in uterine fluids, therefore, would provide a nonsurgical assessment of endometrial receptivity. However, to date no assays are available for human PC6. In this study, we produced three PC6 monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and developed a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for PC6 detection in human uterine fluids. The PC6 mAbs were confirmed to be highly specific to PC6, and the ELISA detected PC6 in human uterine fluids with a significantly higher level during the receptive phase. This newly established PC6 ELISA provides an important tool in the development of noninvasive strategies to detect endometrial receptivity in women.     

Molecular mechanisms of membrane interaction at implantation

Successful pregnancy is dependent upon the implantation of a competent embryo into a receptive endometrium. Despite major advancement in our understanding of reproductive medicine over the last few decades, implantation failure still occurs in both normal pregnancies and those created artificially by assisted reproductive technology (ART). Consequently, there is significant interest in elucidating the etiology of implantation failure. The complex multistep process of implantation begins when the developing embryo first makes contact with the plasma membrane of epithelial cells within the uterine environment. However, although this biological interaction marks the beginning of a fundamental developmental process, our knowledge of the intricate physiological and molecular processes involved remains sparse. In this synopsis, we aim to provide an overview of our current understanding of the morphological changes which occur to the plasma membrane of the uterine endothelium, and the molecular mechanisms that control communication between the early embryo and the endometrium during implantation. A multitude of molecular factors have been implicated in this complex process, including endometrial integrins, extracellular matrix molecules, adhesion molecules, growth factors, and ion channels. We also explore the development of in vitro models for embryo implantation to help researchers investigate mechanisms which may underlie implantation failure. Understanding the precise molecular pathways associated with implantation failure could help us to generate new prognostic/diagnostic biomarkers, and may identify novel therapeutic targets. Birth Defects Research (Part C) 108:19–32, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Zonula occludens-1 and E-cadherin are coordinately expressed in the mouse uterus with the initiation of implantation and decidualization

Two-way interactions between the blastocyst trophectoderm and the uterine luminal epithelium are essential for implantation. The key events of this process are cell-cell contact of trophectoderm cells with uterine luminal epithelial cells, controlled invasion of trophoblast cells through the luminal epithelium and the basement membrane, transformation of uterine stromal cells surrounding the blastocyst into decidual cells, and protection of the "semiallogenic" embryo from the mother's immunological responses. Because cell-cell contact between the trophectoderm epithelium and the luminal epithelium is essential for implantation, we investigated the expression of zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and E-cadherin, two molecules associated with epithelial cell junctions, in the mouse uterus during the periimplantation period. Preimplantation uterine epithelial cells express both ZO-1 and E-cadherin. With the initiation and progression of implantation, ZO-1 and E-cadherin are expressed in stromal cells of the primary decidual zone (PDZ). As trophoblast invasion progresses, these two molecules are expressed in stroma in advance of the invading trophoblast cells. These results suggest that expression of these adherence and tight junctions molecules in the PDZ serves to function as a permeability barrier to regulate access of immunologically competent maternal cells and/or molecules to the embryo and provide homotypic guidance of trophoblast cells in the endometrium.     

Developing embryo and cyclic changes in the uterus of Peripatus (Macroperipatus) acacioi (Onychophora,Peripatidae)

Female reproductive tracts of the viviparous neo-tropical onychophoran Peripatus acacioi have been examined at different times throughout the year, and the altering relationship between the developing embryo and the uterus is described. Depending on her age and time of year, the female may have one or two generations of embryos within her uterus. The uterine wall consists of a thin outer epithelium and basal lamina, three layers of muscles, and a thick basal lamina beneath an inner epithelium lining the uterus lumen. These layers are consistent along the length of the uterus apart from the inner epithelial lining, which varies according to position in the uterus and the developmental stage of embryos contained in the uterus. Early embryos are positioned along the length of the uterus and therefore have space in which to grow. During cleavage and segment formation, each embryo is contained within a fluid-filled embryo cavity that increases in size as the embryo grows. Morulae and blastulae are separated by lengths of empty uterus in which the epithelial lining appears vacuolated. Until the process of segment formation is complete, the embryos are attached to a placenta by a stalk and remain in the same part of the upper region of the uterus. As these embryos grow, the lengths of vacuolated cell-lined uterus between them decrease. Each embryo cavity is surrounded by the epithelial sac, the maternal uterine epithelium, which becomes overlaid by a thin layer of cells, the embryo sac, which is believed to be of embryonic origin. The placenta is a syncytial modification of the epithelial sac located at the ovarian end of each embryo cavity covered by the embryo sac and is analogous to the mammalian noninvasive epitheliochorial placenta. Segment-forming embryos have their heads directed toward the ovary. As the embryo gets longer during segment formation, its posture changes from coiled to flexed. Once segment formation is complete, the embryo loses contact with its stalk, an embryonic cuticle forms, and the embryo turns around so that its head is directed toward the vagina. The embryo escapes from its embryo sac and moves to the lower part of the uterus. In the lower part of the uterus, the straightened fetuses are first unpigmented but subsequently become pigmented as the secondary papillae on the body surface form and an adult-type cuticle forms beneath the embryonic cuticle. While the embryos are contained within their embryo cavities, nutrients are supplied by the placenta. Throughout development the mouth is open and in the mature fetus the gut is lined by peritrophic membrane and material is present in the gut lumen. Trachea have been observed only in fetuses that were ready for birth. Insemination, cyclical changes in the uterine epithelium, and the nature of the cuticle shed at parturition are discussed. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Excessive Intrauterine Fluid Cause Aberrant Implantation and Pregnancy Outcome in Mice

The normal intrauterine fluid environment is essential for embryo implantation. In hydrosalpinx patients, the implantation and pregnancy rates are markedly decreased after IVF–embryo transfer, while salpingectomy could significantly improve the pregnancy rates. The leakage of hydrosalpinx fluid into the endometrial cavity was supposed to be the major cause for impaired fertility. However, the underlying mechanisms of hydrosalpinx fluids on implantation and ongoing pregnancy were not fully understood and remain controversial regarding its toxicity. In present study, by infusing different volume of non-toxic fluid (0.9% saline) into uterine lumen before embryo implantation in mice (Day4 08:30), we found that while the embryos were not “flushed out” from the uteri, the timing of implantation was deferred and normal intrauterine distribution (embryo spacing) was disrupted. The abnormal implantation at early pregnancy further lead to embryo growth retardation, miscarriage and increased pregnancy loss, which is similar to the adverse effects observed in hydrosalpinx patients undergoing IVF-ET. We further examined uterine receptivity related gene expression reported to be involved in human hydrosalpinx (Lif, Hoxa10, Integrin α(v) and β(3)). The results showed that expression of integrin α(v) and β(3) were increased in the fluid infused mouse uteri, implicating a compensatory effect to cope with the excessive fluid environment. Our data suggested that the adverse effects of excessive non-toxic luminal fluid on pregnancy are primarily due to the mechanical interference for normal timing and location of embryo apposition, which might be the major cause of decreased implantation rate in IVF-ET patients with hydrosalpinx.     

Effects of postparturient uterine lavage on uterine involution in the mare

Eighteen postparturient mares were used to evaluate effects of uterine lavage on uterine involution. Mares were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: Group 1 (seven mares), no lavage; Group 2 (five mares), lavage on Day 3 post partum; and Group 3 (six mares), lavage on Days 3, 4, and 5 post partum. Five liters sterile physiologic saline, prewarmed to 42 degrees C, were used for each lavage. Transrectal ultrasound examination of the reproductive tract was performed on Day 11 post partum to detect the presence of free fluid in the uterine lumen, to estimate the cross-sectional diameter of the uterine horns and body, and to determine if ovulation had occurred. Endometrial biopsies were also taken on Day 11 post partum to evaluate endometrial histologic characteristics. Lavage had no effect (P>0.05) on diameter of the uterine body or previously gravid uterine horn, presence of fluid in the uterine lumen, or number of mares which had ovulated by Day 11 post partum. Histologic characteristics of the endometrium (height of luminal epithelium, gland depth, relative gland vclume, and inflammatory-cell score) were not affected by treatment (P>0.05). Postpartum uterine lavage did not significantly affect uterine involution by the parameters measured in normal-foaling mares at Day 11 post partum.     

Progesterone inhibits rejection of xenogeneic transplants in the sheep uterus

OBJECTIVES: One of the proposed roles of progesterone is to prevent maternal immunological destruction of the allogeneic conceptus. Here, it was demonstrated that progesterone allows survival of a xenotransplant placed in the uterine lumen. METHODS: Ovariectomized ewes, surgically prepared to have ligatures around each uterine horn, were given daily subcutaneous injections of 50 mg progesterone or vehicle (sesame oil). After 30 days of treatment, mouse hybridoma cells were transplanted to one ligated uterine horn and phosphate-buffered saline was injected into the other horn. The uterus was flushed after an additional 14 days of treatment and hybridoma cells were identified by immunofluorescence. RESULTS: Overall, hybridoma cells were recovered from 4 of 5 progesterone-treated ewes and 1 of 5 vehicle-treated ewes. Immunohistochemical analysis of intercaruncular endometrium using antibodies towards CD8, gammadelta, and CD45R lymphocyte markers revealed that local presence of hybridoma cells caused a significant increase in CD8+ cells in all tissue compartments. While not significant, the numbers of CD8+ cells in the luminal and glandular epithelium were lower for progesterone-treated ewes. Progesterone tended to increase gammadelta T cell numbers in the glandular epithelium. CONCLUSIONS: Results demonstrate that xenograft rejection in the uterus is associated with an increase in CD8+ cells in the endometrium and that progesterone can inhibit uterine tissue graft rejection responses sufficiently to allow survival or delay rejection of xenograft tissue.     

Placentation and associated aspects of gestation in the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo

The left ovary of the bonnethead shark, Sphyrna tiburo, is rudimentary, and the right ovary supplies both oviducts which share a common ostium situated in the falciform ligament. Preceding ovulation the nidamental gland of each oviduct hypertrophies and the caudal two-thirds of each oviduct is modified to form a uterus. In the Florida-Caribbean area Sphyrna tiburo probably mates in March and 3–7 eggs are fertilized in the vicinity of the nidamental gland of each oviduct. The developing embryo is nourished during the first 3–4 months of gestation by yolk stored in its extensive yolk sac. Approximately three and one-half months after fertilization, the distal portion of the yolk sac becomes convoluted and interdigitates with deep folds in the uterine wall to form a yolk-sac placenta. As the placenta develops, the maternal uterine epithelium is reduced from columnar cells to squamous cells, and the foetal yolk-sac epithelium is reduced from columnar and cuboidal cells to squamous cells. Exchange between the maternal and foetal blood systems takes place through maternal endothelium, reduced maternal epithelium, egg-case membrane, reduced foetal epithelium, and foetal endothelium.     

Gross and histological characterization of endometrial tissues from SLA miniature pigs with cystic endometrial hyperplasia

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) is a uterine disorder characterized by the formation of large numbers of cysts in the endometrium. The purpose of this study was to examine and characterize cell types in the endometrium associated with the cysts and uterine glands. No apparent histological differences between CEH-involved and normal uterine columnar epithelium were found. Endometrial glands in CEH-involved and normal uteri were lined with simple or ciliated columnar epithelial cells and surrounded by lamellar connective tissue. The cyst epithelium appeared to be stretched obliquely and compressed so that both the cells and nuclei were horizontally oriented relative to the cyst lumen and were surrounded by lamellar connective tissue. Electron microgaphs revealed an abnormally high number of mitochondria in the cystic cells as compared to normal glandular cells. In conclusion, CEH is characterized by the formation of cysts which develop from the uterine glandular tissue. Epithelial cells lining the glands appeared to be distorted, possibly in response to internal pressure from increased volume due to high metabolic activity, and/or no uterine luminal opening.     

Dynamic changes to claudins in the uterine epithelial cells of the marsupial Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Dasyuridae) during pregnancy

The fluid that surrounds the embryo in the uterus contains important nourishing factors and secretions. To maintain the distinct microenvironment in the uterine lumen, the tight junctions between uterine epithelial cells are remodeled to decrease paracellular movement of molecules and solutes. Modifications to tight junctions between uterine epithelial cells is a common feature of pregnancy in eutherian mammals, regardless of placental type. Here we used immunofluorescence microscopy and western blot analysis to describe distributional changes to tight junctional proteins, claudin‐1, ‐3, ‐4, and ‐5, in the uterine epithelial cells of a marsupial species, Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed claudin‐1, ‐3, and ‐5 in the tight junctions of the uterine epithelium of S. crassicaudata during pregnancy. These specific claudins are associated with restricting passive movement of fluid between epithelial cells in eutherians. Hence, their function during pregnancy in S. crassicaudata may be to maintain the uterine luminal content surrounding developing embryos. Claudin‐4 disappears from all uterine regions of S. crassicaudata at the time of implantation, in contrast with the distribution of this claudin in some eutherian mammals. We conclude that like eutherian mammals, distributional changes to claudins in the uterine epithelial cells of S. crassicaudata are necessary to support pregnancy. However, the combination of individual claudin isoforms in the tight junctions of the uterine epithelium of S. crassicaudata differs from that of eutherian mammals. Our findings suggest that the precise permeability of the paracellular pathway of the uterine epithelium is species‐specific.     

Morphology and fine structure of the gravid uterus of three hymenolepidid tapeworm species (Platyhelminthes: Cestoda)

Summary

The ultrastructure of the uterus in gravid proglottids of Hymenolepis citelli, Vampirolepis nana and Vampirolepis microstoma was examined using transmission and scanning electron microscopy. The cellular and subcellular structures were similar in all three species, consisting basically of a syncytial layer attached to a basal extracellular matrix. All nuclei were juxtaluminal and each contained a single large centrally located nucleolus and prominent masses of central and peripheral heterochromatin. The cytoplasm showed evidence suggesting a high level of protein synthesis and secretion. It consisted primarily of granular endoplasmic reticulum with moderately dilated cisternae; most cisternae were completely filled with an electron-lucent flocculent material, but others contained electrondense granules. Free ribosomes and mitochondria were also present. The apical plasma membrane and a small amount of enclosed cytoplasm were folded into long microlamellae that extended into the uterine lumen. Larger epithelial folds and villi consisting of folded portions of the entire epithelium projected into the uterine lumen. The uterine epithelium along with its basul extracellular matrix and underlying cellular parenchyma were folded into the lumen at several points, forming epitheliomesenchymal folds and villi that closely apposed many of the eggs.     

The movement of fluids and substances in the testis

Three aspects of the control of movements of fluids and substances into, out of and inside the testis are discussed: the tubular barrier, the interstitial extracellular fluid and the testicular blood vessels. The functional basis for the tubular barrier is twofold; there are significant differences in the concentration of many substances inside and outside the tubules and marker substances enter or leave the tubular fluid at widely different rates, depending on lipid solubility and the presence of specific carrier systems. The anatomical basis for this barrier appears to be the specialized junctions between adjacent pairs of Sertoli cells. The barrier develops only at puberty, as the first cells undergo meiosis, but the development may not be as sudden as previously believed. The barrier breaks down after efferent duct ligation when spermatogenesis is disrupted. Techniques for measuring the volume, the turnover rate, the composition and fate of the interstitial extracellular fluid are described, and the unsatisfactory features of the presently available techniques for collecting this fluid for analysis are emphasized. There is a relationship between the fluid in the testis and lymph from vessels in the spermatic cord and lymph may be important for the transport of hormones to the general circulation in some circumstances and to other organs close to the testis. The testicular blood vessels display certain unusual features, a very high susceptibility to the toxic effects of cadmium salts, a high level of alkaline phosphatase activity in all endothelial cells but only after puberty and a high level of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in the endothelial cells of the arterioles and the testicular artery. These same cells are the site for a specific transport system for leucine and phenylalanine, with kinetic characteristics similar to the system in brain. Flow of blood may limit hormone secretion by the aspermatogenic testis, but diffusion limitation may also be important under some circumstances. A fuller understanding of the ways in which substances move around in the testis, particularly how they cross the endothelial cell layer or penetrate into the tubules, will be important for a better appreciation of testicular function.     

Toxicity of uterine fluids to rabbit embryos at the stage of eight cells or fewer

A total of 1018 rabbit embryos at different developmental stages were incubated in uterine fluids from rabbits or rats or in fractions obtained by ultrafiltration of these fluids. Rabbit and rat uterine fluids inhibited the development of rabbit embryo pronuclei but supported the development of morulae. The embryotoxicity of uterine fluid is not restricted to unicellular embryos. Embryos at the 2-, 4- and 8-cell stages do not develop correctly in rabbit uterine fluid. The embryotoxic factor seems to be of low molecular weight (< 500 daltons).     

Developmental biology of uterine glands.

All mammalian uteri contain endometrial glands that synthesize or transport and secrete substances essential for survival and development of the conceptus (embryo/fetus and associated extraembryonic membranes). In rodents, uterine secretory products of the endometrial glands are unequivocally required for establishment of uterine receptivity and conceptus implantation. Analyses of the ovine uterine gland knockout model support a primary role for endometrial glands and, by default, their secretions in peri-implantation conceptus survival and development. Uterine adenogenesis is the process whereby endometrial glands develop. In humans, this process begins in the fetus, continues postnatally, and is completed during puberty. In contrast, endometrial adenogenesis is primarily a postnatal event in sheep, pigs, and rodents. Typically, endometrial adenogenesis involves differentiation and budding of glandular epithelium from luminal epithelium, followed by invagination and extensive tubular coiling and branching morphogenesis throughout the uterine stroma to the myometrium. This process requires site-specific alterations in cell proliferation and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling as well as paracrine cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions that support the actions of specific hormones and growth factors. Studies of uterine development in neonatal ungulates implicate prolactin, estradiol-17 beta, and their receptors in mechanisms regulating endometrial adenogenesis. These same hormones appear to regulate endometrial gland morphogenesis in menstruating primates and humans during reconstruction of the functionalis from the basalis endometrium after menses. In sheep and pigs, extensive endometrial gland hyperplasia and hypertrophy occur during gestation, presumably to provide increasing histotrophic support for conceptus growth and development. In the rabbit, sheep, and pig, a servomechanism is proposed to regulate endometrial gland development and differentiated function during pregnancy that involves sequential actions of ovarian steroid hormones, pregnancy recognition signals, and lactogenic hormones from the pituitary or placenta. That disruption of uterine development during critical organizational periods can alter the functional capacity and embryotrophic potential of the adult uterus reinforces the importance of understanding the developmental biology of uterine glands. Unexplained high rates of peri-implantation embryonic loss in humans and livestock may reflect defects in endometrial gland morphogenesis due to genetic errors, epigenetic influences of endocrine disruptors, and pathological lesions.     

子宫内膜接受性的建立和分子调控

胚泡着床是一个复杂的生理过程,依赖于胚泡发育和子宫内膜获得接受能力的同步进行.着床只发生在具有接受性的子宫内膜,而子宫内膜只在很短的时间内具有接受性.被称为"着床窗口".子宫内膜接受性的建立涉及子宫腔上皮的形态学改变,以及甾类激素和许多细胞因子复杂的调控作用.本文综述了子宫内膜接受性的建立及其分子调控.     

Blastocyst implantation in the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus)

Embryonic development of the Chinese hamster (Cricetulus griseus) was studied from the onset of implantation to the formation of the parietal yolk sac placenta. Implantation began on day 6 of pregnancy, when the embryo became fixed to the uterine luminal epithelium. At this time there was no zona pellucida, and microvilli of the trophoblast and uterine epithelium were closely apposed. Stromal cells immediately adjacent to the implantation chamber began to enlarge and accumulate glycogen. By day 7 the mural trophoblast penetrated the luminal epithelium in discrete area. The trophoblast appeared to phagocytize uterine epithelial cells, although epithelium adjoining the points of penetration was normal. In other areas nascent apical protrusions from the uterine epithelium indented the surface of the trophoblast. The epiblast had enlarged and both visceral and parietal endoderm cells were present. The well-developed decidual cells were epithelioid and completely surrounded the implantation chamber. On day 8 the uterine epithelium had disappeared along the mural surface of the embryo. The embryonic cell mass was elongated and filled the yolk sac cavity. Reichert's membrane was well developed. The uterine epithelial basal lamina was largely disrupted, and the trophoblast was in direct contact with decidual cells. Primary and secondary giant trophoblast cells were present and in contact with extravasated maternal blood. The mural trophoblast formed channels in which blood cells were found in close proximity to Reichert's membrane. Decidual cells were in contact with capillary epithelium and in some cases formed part of the vessel wall. Structural changes occurring in the embryo and endometrium during implantation in the Chinese hamster are described for the first time in this report and are compared to those described for some other myomorph rodents.