Culture of endometrial epithelial cells collected by a cytological brush in vivo

Summary: Understanding endometrial physiology in dairy cows is essential, as approximately 50% of pregnancies are lost in the first 3 weeks of gestation for unknown reasons. This work validated an approach to culture and propagate luminal endometrial cells harvest by a minimally invasive tool, endometrial cytology (cytobrush). (1) Cells were collected at a specific stage of the estrous cycle; (2) fresh cells were evaluated regarding their identity by immunofluorescence; and (3) functionality of the system was demonstrated by inducing transcription of IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) in response to treatment with recombinant IFN-τ.