Improved quality of human embryos when co-cultured with human ampullary cells.

Cultured human, ampullary, epithelial cells obtained from fertile women undergoing hysterectomy were evaluated for the support of human embryonic cleavage and growth in vitro. Twelve patients provided 23 embryos for co-culture with subcultured ampullary cells grown in T6 + 15% patient's serum and 18 embryos for growth in T6 + 15% patient's serum alone (controls). Of embryos co-cultured with ampullary cells, 78% cleaved to the compacted embryo stage and 69% cavitated as compared with 50 and 33% respectively for controls (P less than 0.

Establishment of human endometrial cell cultures.

Epithelial and stromal endometrial cells from 19 patients at different phases of the menstrual cycle were enzymatically separated, isolated by successive centrifugation and primary cultures established for in-vitro studies on implantation. The behaviour of cells in vitro was evaluated using Nomarski's inverted optics, May-Grunwald-Giemsa stained coverslips and scanning electron microscopy. Epithelial and stromal cells from all patients grew successfully in Chang's medium and formed a mixed confluent monolayer of epithelioid and fibroblastic cells in 3-7 days and such monolayers could be maintained alive up to 3-4 weeks.