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Updated: May 9, 2026

Methods for Studying Uterine Contributions to Pregnancy Establishment in an Ovariectomized Mouse Model
Published on: April 7, 2023
Oestrogen and progesterone action on endometrium: a translational approach to understanding endometrial receptivity
1Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7570, United States.
Abstract:
Embryo attachment and implantation is critical to successful reproduction of all eutherian mammals, including humans; a better understanding of these processes could lead to improved infertility treatments and novel contraceptive methods. Experience with assisted reproduction, especially oocyte donation cycles, has established that despite the diverse set of hormones produced by the ovary in a cycle-dependent fashion, the sequential actions of only two of them, oestrogen and progesterone, are sufficient to prepare a highly receptive endometrium in humans. Further investigation on the endometrial actions of these two hormones is currently providing significant insight into the implantation process in women, strongly suggesting that an abnormal response to progesterone underlies infertility in some patients.
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