Expression of E-Cadherin in Pig-Tailed Monkey (Macaca nemestrina) Endometrium after Controlled Ovarian Hyperstimulation

Abstract

An increase of steroid hormones in controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) procedures is reducing the success rate in assisted reproductive technology (ART), and this includes the pregnancy rate and/or implantation rate. Research has found that the decrease in the success rate occurred due to the decreased expression of the protein that is needed to prepare the endometrium so that the embryo could attach. The aim of the study was to analyse the changes in E-chaderin expression due to COH and its relations with increased level of steroid hormones as one of the proteins in the endometrium. There were 13 samples of stored biological tissue from Macaca nemestrina endometrial tissue; came from one group of natural cycles as the control group ( $n=4$ ) and three groups of stimulated cycles. The first stimulated cycle group was injected by a 30 IU dose of rFSH ( $n=2$ ). The second stimulated cycle group was injected by a 50 IU dose of rFSH ( $n=4$ ). The third stimulated cycle group was injected by a 70 IU dose of rFSH ( $n=3$ ). The expression of E-cadherin was measured by the immunohistochemistry (IHC) technique. Estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) levels were assessed using ELISA and have already been done. The IHC staining expression of E-cadherin was found in the cytoplasm of glandular epithelium. Immunostaining measurement used the H_SCORE. We found that the expression of E-cadherin within the group was not significantly different ( $p$ value: 0.178). Similarly, both the correlation between the estradiol level with E-cadherin and the correlation between the progesterone level with E-cadherin were not significantly different ( $p$ value: 0.872 and $p$ value: 0.836). The conclusion is that the level of E-Cadherin expression in the endometrium that were taken in themiddle secretion phase not affected by the dose regimen that given. In addition, the level of expression is not influenced by the increase of serum E2 and P4 levels.