Human tubal epithelial cells in primary culture were transfected with simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen plasmid, and an immortalized ciliated cell line, named as NT/T-S, was established without crisis. Transmission electron microscopy proved that NT/T-S cells had cilia, microvilli, junctional complexes, rough endoplasmic reticula, free ribosomes and microtubules. NT/T-S cells were evaluated preliminarily on the basis of co-culture study using surplus embryos at the 4- to 8-cell stage in our IVF and embryo transfer programme. All of the 133 embryos had >/=10% fragments (based on the surface area) and were unworthy of cryopreservation. Up to 57% (16/28) of the embryos with 10-30% fragments reached the blastocyst stage by co-culture. In contrast, blastocyst formation was observed in <10% of the control embryos, some of which were co-cultured with NFL/T cells (the immortalized human fetal liver epithelial cells) (1/16), and the others were incubated with the co-culture medium alone (1/18). Various cytokines/growth factors such as leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and basic fibroblast growth factor were secreted by NT/T-S cells as well as by the tubal epithelial cells in primary culture. The establishment of a ciliated cell line will provide a valuable resource for the further studies of the Fallopian tube in the early events of pregnancy.

SUMMARY1. Mechanical responses to Na removal were investigated in the circular and longitudinal muscles of the non-pregnant rat myometrium at 35 'C. In both muscles, reduction of the external Na concentration to less than 20 mm produced an initial acceleration of phasic contractions and a sustained tonic contracture. No difference was found with different Na substitutes (Tris-hydroxymethyl aminomethane, choline, dimethyl diethanol ammonium). However, when Mg was substituted for Na, only the tonic contracture was produced without the phasic contractions.2. Readmission of 5-10 mm-Na, after exposure to Na-free solution, relaxed the contracture produced by Na removal. The degree of relaxation was dependent on the Na concentration readmitted and on the period of pre-treatment with Na-free solution, being stronger with longer pre-treatment.3. In the presence ofNa, excess Ca failed to increase the muscle tone. In the absence of Na, the tension development was closely related to the external Ca concentration up to 20 mm. In the absence of both Ca and Na, some tension remained. Even after pre-treatment with Ca-free solution containing 0 1-0'5 mm EGTA, removal of Na caused some mechanical response. A similar small tension development was observed when Na removal was repeated during prolonged absence ofexternal Ca for more than 3 h. 4. Verapamil (2 x 10-4 M) markedly suppressed the response to Na removal, but it did not block it, either in the presence or in the absence of Ca. Ouabain (10-3 M) in the presence of verapamil potentiated the early phasic component of the response to Na removal, but the tonic component was little affected or even slightly reduced.5. The results indicate that there are three components in the mechanical response to Na removal: the phasic and tonic components, which are highly Ca-dependent, and the third small tonic component, which is independent of external Ca. Most of the phasic and tonic responses seem to be due to an increase in Ca permeability, but this may be secondary to membrane depolarization. A Na-Ca exchange mechanism is also considered to contribute to the transient phase of the response to Na removal and to Na readmission.

Objective To evaluate the indications for transvaginal saline contrast sonohysterography (TV-SCSH)

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