The role of the peritoneal macrophage on the infertility associated with endometriosis

In investigating the cause of infertility in patients with endometriosis, not only organic disturbances, but also other factors must be considered. I here discuss the participation of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in peritoneal fluid (PF) in infertility and embryonal developmental failure in animal experiment. I next investigated the mechanism for this in mice. The number of corpora lutea and the state of cleavage of the fertilized ovum 96 hours after hCG administration under influence of M phi and IL-1 were investigated. Further in a culture system of human endometrial interstitial cells, the content of intracellular glycogen, which is a source of energy for the growth of the fertilized ovum after implantation, as well as the influence of IL-1 on enzymes metabolizing intracellular glycogen were investigated. As the result, it is considered that M phi in the peritoneal cavity secrete IL-1, which has no influence on ovulation, but inhibits cleavage of the fertilized ovum, decreases the content of intracellular glycogen in the endometrium, and disturbs the environment for ovular growth after implantation, resulting in infertility.