The early uterine response to transplanted, delayed and estrogenactivated blastocysts was studied ultrastructurally and compared with that induced by intrauterine instillations of deciduogenic agents (arachis oil, air). The uterine responses to delayed and activated blastocysts showed no ultrastructural or temporal differences. Already within 4 h after transfer to a sensitized uterus, the delayed blastocysts exhibited signs of activation, and both types of blastocysts had started to attach onto an undamaged epithelial lining. Signs of stromal cell differentiation into decidual cells were also seen as early as 4 h after transfer, while the Pontamine-blue reaction did not appear until after 8 h. The results therefore indicate that the transplanted blastocysts induced decidualization atraumatically and that the delayed blastocysts were either deciduogenic already before transfer or rapidly acquired deciduogenic properties after transfer.
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