Implantation Promoting Effect of Hyaluronan - a scientific background

The role of Hyaluronan in ART

Support preimplantation embryo development in culture
Facilitate embryo implantation
Improve embryo cryosurvivability

Hyaluronan supports embryo implantation in vitro and in vivo
In vitro, it has been shown that hyaluronan possesses the ability of supporting the attachment and outgrowth of mouse trophoblasts indicating that the trophectoderm tissue of the embryo utilizes hyaluronan in tissue invasion (Carson et al, 1987).

In vivo, the addition of hyaluronan to transfer medium significantly increases the rate of implantation and fetal development in the mouse (Gardner et al 1999). In 2002, the Colorado Center of Reproductive Medicine also showed that the hyaluronan-containing transfer medium can significantly improve the human embryo implantation rate (Schoolcraft et al, 2002).

In addition, hyaluronan also supports the cryosurvival and development of mouse (Gardner et al, 2001) and bovine blastocysts (Lane et al, 2003). This indicates that embryos cultured in hyaluronan-containing culture media have a better possibility to maintain the inherent viability, thereby actively attend the embryo-maternal signaling process, the dialogue between embryo and its mother prior to implantation.

Hyaluronan- a normal component of mammalian follicular, oviductal, and uterine fluids.
Hyaluronan is the major glycosaminoglycan present in follicular, oviductal and uterine fluids (Lee and Ax 1984, Suchanek et al 1994, Rodriguez-Martinez et al 1998). Physiological concentrations of hyaluronan in these fluids of pigs, for instance, range from 0.04 to 1.83 mg/mL, 16-39 % of all glycosaminoglycans (Kano et al 1998), which in turn provides high viscosity environment in the oviduct and uterus.