Figure 2

SEM of uterine epithelium at D4P from different women during a natural cycle. (A) Several patients showed a well stimulated, secretory epithelium consistent with Day 4P or 5P, displaying developing or fully developed uterodomes. Scale bar = 5 μm. (B) In contrast some patients showed an epithelium that was suboptimal and representative of early proliferative epithelium. Microvillous cells were flat and sparsely covered with low, blebbed microvilli. Ciliated cells are infrequent and the cilia low and numerically reduced. Scale bar = 10 μm. (C) Tissue appearance varied from areas of small polygonally shaped microvillous cells with well developed microvilli, cell protrusion and secretory droplets, to areas of flattened or protruding epithelium with obvious cell borders between large pleiomorphic cells. Scale bar = 10 μm.