Abstract
Objectives: To investigate the effects of different levels ofhormones on the ciliary activity of human oviducts and,consequently, to assess their possible role in tubalimplantation of the fertilized egg.
Design: Fallopian tube epithelial samples were incubatedin media with the addition of Estradiol (E2), progesterone(P), human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), LH, or pureFSH (Metrodin) in different concentrations. The ciliary beatfrequency (CBF) was measured after 24 h of incubation.Then the media were exchanged to media without theaddition of hormones and the CBF was measured again 24 hlater by using the photoelectric technique.
Setting: University teaching hospital, IVF unit.
Results: Twenty-four hr after the addition of P to the culturemedium in concentrations of 0.5 or 1 ng/ml a significantdecline of the CBF down to 63% of the control level wasobserved (P < 0.001) and with P in concentration of 2 ng/ml or greater, 50–70% of the cilia were paralyzed. Theseeffects of P were found to be reversible. Incubation with E2induced a slight increase of 4% in the mean CBF (P =0.002). Twenty-four hr incubation with Metrodin, Pergonal,or LH did not affect ciliary motility.
Conclusions: Higher levels of progesterone cause ciliarydysfunction and subsequently may be a possible cause ofectopic pregnancy.
Keywords: fallopian tubes, ectopic pregnancy, ciliary activity, organ culture
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