Ji. Tay et al., HUMAN TUBAL FLUID - PRODUCTION, NUTRIENT COMPOSITION AND RESPONSE TO ADRENERGIC AGENTS, Human reproduction, 12(11), 1997, pp. 2451-2456
Vascularly perfused Fallopian tubes have been used to study the format
ion and composition of human tubal fluid and the response to adrenergi
c agents. An artery serving the tube was cannulated and perfused with
Medium 199 supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and antibiotic
s. A second cannula was attached to the fimbriated end for native tuba
l fluid collection. The preparation was viable for up to 2 h. Tubal fl
uid was only obtained in tubes removed in the proliferative and early
secretory phases of the ovarian cycle. Isoproterenol (1 mM) added to t
he perfusate stimulated fluid production, whereas dibutyryl cyclic AMP
(1 mM) reduced fluid formation by 66%. Glucose, pyruvate and lactate
concentrations in tubal fluid, measured by microfluorescence assays, w
ere 1.11, 0.14 and 5.4 mM respectively. The concentrations of 17 amino
acids in tubal fluid were measured by high performance liquid chromat
ography following fluorescence derivatization. Arginine (0.19 mM) > al
anine (0.11 mM) > glutamate (0.09 mM) were present in highest concentr
ation in all phases of the cycle. All 17 amino acid concentrations in
tubal fluid were below those in the vascular perfusate. These data pro
vides the basis for a culture medium whose composition mimics the phys
iological environment to which early human embryos are exposed.