All Phenotypes Cripto<tm2.2Mms> MGI Mouse

abnormal endometrial gland morphology ( J:324146 )

• 3.5 dpc uteri of old (7- to 8-month-old) mated females display distended endometrial glands in 6 of 7 females, unlike in aged-matched controls

endometrium inflammation ( J:324146 )

• 3.5 dpc uteri of old (7- to 8-month-old) mated females show marked infiltration of immune cells into the distended lumen of uterine glands in 4 of 7 females, unlike in aged-matched controls

abnormal pregnancy ( J:324146 )

• although the preimplantation period is normal, ~20% of females fail to establish pregnancy with no signs of any decidua

• an additional 20% of females establish pregnancy but show full litter loss after implantation between 5.5 dpc and 8.5 dpc

• however, ~60% of females establish pregnancy and show normal fertility parameters until 8.5 dpc

• also, serum progesterone (P4) levels are normal in all 3 categories at 7.5 dpc

abnormal embryo attachment ( J:324146 )

• uteri of 5.5 dpc mated but nonpregnant females show no signs of embryo attachment

delayed embryo implantation ( J:324146 )

• in 20% of females that lose their entire litter, loss of pregnancy between 5.5 dpc and 8.5 dpc may be the result of delayed implantation

failure of embryo implantation ( J:324146 )

• ~20% of females fail to establish pregnancy with no signs of any decidua, even though a mating plug and corpora lutea are observed

• uteri of 5.5 dpc mated but nonpregnant females show no signs of embryo attachment/implantation

abnormal uterine environment ( J:324146 )

• peri-implantation remodeling of the uterine lumen and stroma is impaired during pregnancy; however, proliferation of uterine stromal cells is normal on 4.5 dpc

• expression of Notch signaling components Notch1, Notch4, and Dll4 is significantly lower in the uteri of pregnant 5.5 dpc females than in pregnant 5.5 dpc controls

• in old (7- to 8-month-old) mated females, the number of viable blastocysts retrieved from the 3.5 dpc uterus is less than half of that in control females, suggesting that uterine environment is unfavorable for blastocysts survival and implantation as age progresses

abnormal decidualization ( J:324146 )

• uteri of 5.5 dpc mated but nonpregnant females show no signs of decidualization initiation

• following artificial induction of the decidual reaction, pseudopregnant females fail to show any signs of decidualization response in the scratched uterine horn

• expression of Bmp2 and Wnt4 (both critical decidualization elements) is significantly lower in 5.5 dpc nonpregnant females than in pregnant 5.5 dpc females and controls

• expression of Wnt4 is also significantly lower in pregnant 5.5 dpc females than in pregnant 5.5 dpc controls

• alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity is drastically lower in 5.5 dpc implantation sites than in controls, indicating impaired differentiation of decidual cells

abnormal luminal closure ( J:324146 )

• implantations sites show incomplete luminal closure on 4.5 dpc and 7.5 dpc, unlike in controls

abnormal uterine-embryonic axis ( J:324146 )

• an abnormal implantation crypt of irregular shape and an extra branch is observed on 3.5 dpc instead of the single longitudinal implantation crypt oriented along the anti-mesometrial/mesometrial (AM/M) axis of the uterus found in 3.5 dpc controls

female infertility ( J:324146 )

• 7- to 8-month-old virgin females mated with wild-type fertile males fail to give birth to any pups after 2 rounds of successful mating, indicating a drastic age-associated decline in fertility

• however, these old females are cyclic and ovulate normally

reduced female fertility ( J:324146 )

• only 62% of 6-8-week-old virgin females mated with wild-type fertile males give birth to live pups and a slightly but statistically significant lower number of pups per litter is observed relative to controls

• subcutaneous P4 supplementation on 3.5 dpc fails to improve the pregnancy rate

decreased litter size ( J:324146 )

• when fertility of 6-8-week-old females is followed over a 5-month breeding trial, average number of litters per female is normal but average number of pups per litter is significantly lower than in controls

• also, average number of pups per litter shows a marked decline over time, unlike in control females