Study On Uterine Mucosubstances Accompanying Infertility Effect Of An Intrauterine Device

Endometrial mucosubstances (glycoproteins and mucopolysaccharides) have been investigated accompanying the infertility effect of an intrauterine device (IUD) under hormonal treatment. 1. (1) The relative amounts of the total endometrial mucosubstances were increased with estrogen, but decreased with progesterone. Furthermore, higher values were observed in the IUD horns than in the non-IUD horns in the hormone-treated animals. 2. (2) Ion-exchange column chromatography on Dowex-1 of the endometrial mucosubstances, expressed in terms of hexosamine, showed a remarkable alteration in the major NaCl fractions, 0.25 M, 0.5 M and 0.75 M. The relative amounts of hexosamine in the 0.5 M and 0.75 M NaCl fractions from the IUD horns were higher than those from the non-IUD horns. 3. (3) Electrophoretograms of the 0.5 M and 0.75 M NaCl fractions indicated the presence of three components: glycoprotein, sulfated glycoprotein and hyaluronic acid. 4. (4) Histochemical study of the endometria of the rabbits showed the presence of PAS-positive substances in the lumina, the surface epithelia, the blood vessel wall and stroma, particularly in the lumina and the surface epithelia of the IUD horns. Moreover, the most intense staining was observed in the estrogen-treated animals. The substances in the endometrial surface epithelia and the lumina in the estrogentreated animals also gave a positive reaction to alcian blue staining. 5. (5) The results of the biochemical and histochemical studies suggest that the biosynthesis of endometrial mucosubstances, particularly glycoprotein and sulfated glycoprotein, was stimulated by estrogen, but this stimulation was prevented by progesterone. The results also suggest that the IUD accelerates estrogen stimulation, but suppresses the progesteronic effect. The present observations suggest that the IUD might change the metabolic pattern of endometrial mucosubstances. Therefore, the metabolic change of the endometrial mucosubstances, particularly of glycoprotein and sulfated glycoprotein, might play an important role in the infertility effect of the IUD.