Hydrosalpinx fluid affects murine embryonic development in a coculture system with epithelial endometrial cells.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present investigation was to assess whether a coculture system protects from the effect of hydrosalpinx fluid (HF) on murine embryo development, evaluated through blastocyst cell number.

DESIGN: Controlled prospective study.

SETTING: Academic research center.

PATIENT(S): Endometrium and HF from six patients and endometrium from six normal patients.

INTERVENTION(S): Murine embryos were exposed to the absence or presence of different concentrations of human HF: 0% HF (control), 50% HF, 70% HF in human tubal fluid, and 100% HF, in a simple culture system (SCS), epithelial coculture system (ECS), and hydrosalpinx epithelial coculture system (HECS).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Embryonic development at 72 hours and blastocyst cell number determined by the Tarcowsky method.

RESULT(S): In SCS, 91.9% of the embryos reached the blastocyst stage, and no significant differences were shown in the presence of HF. However, significant differences were observed in the blastocyst cell number. Of the embryos cultured in ECS, 97.1% reached the blastocyst stage, and high concentrations of HF caused a decrease in embryonic development. A significant difference was observed between ECS and HECS in embryo development without HF. When HF was added, a significant decrease in blastocyst cell number was seen in embryos exposed to HECS compared with ECS.

CONCLUSION(S): Our data suggest that normal and hydrosalpinx endometria do not protect from the deleterious effect of HF on embryo development at the concentrations evaluated. This effect is dose dependent and was determined through the blastocyst cell number.