Early detection of embryonic post implantation failures by ultrasound biomicroscopy and the role of the maternal immune system

Viac o knihe

Spontaneous embryonic resorption poses significant challenges in human medicine, agricultural animal production, and conservation breeding programs. While the well-characterized mouse model has been used to investigate its causes and mechanisms, most studies rely on post mortem examinations, which are limited due to rapid disintegration of embryonic structures. This thesis aims to establish a reliable method for identifying embryo resorptions in live animals at the earliest stages using ultra-high frequency ultrasound, enabling a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms without triggering a general immune response. The study outlines a temporal course of embryo resorption, detailing four stages: initial growth retardation, followed by bradycardia and pericardial edema, cessation of development and embryo death, and finally, resorption of embryo remnants by maternal immune cells. Early gestation (days 7 and 8) showed a small embryonic cavity with poorly defined structures, leading to the transformation of the embryo into echodense tissue. In later stages (days 9 to 11), growth-retarded conceptuses lagged behind normal siblings, exhibiting bradycardia and histological signs of apoptosis. The study also describes the degradation of the implantation site, with specific markers for macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, and highlights an inflammatory process in the decidua capsularis leading to disintegration and hem