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Menstrual Cycle: Some Uncertain Aspects

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The Endometrium

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Abstract

For a long time endometrial biopsy was the only unbiased and precise parameter for clinical investigation of the human menstrual cycle. With the development of techniques to measure hormone concentrations in plasma, the earlier methodology was abandoned. Interest in this target tissue is again growing, but for different reasons. Because hormonal measurements indicate a momentary physiological value, whereas the endometrium reflects various stages of hormonal influence, sampling and histological examination of this tissue can demonstrate the normal correlated influences of hypophysial and ovarian hormones, or show a functional disorder of the hypothalamic-ovarian axis. New insights into the cellular and molecular physiology of the endometrium are probably necessary for understanding implantation mechanisms. This paper will be devoted to the effects of hormones on the endometrium. Rather than a sempiternal report on the known physiological aspects of the menstrual cycle, we will focus on the unknown aspects of synchronized events that control human reproduction. It does not seem useful to describe the concentrations of the different hypophysial and ovarian hormones or necessary to relate the feedback system or the hormonal mode of action at the cellular level.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Université de Paris Val de Marne C.H.I.C., 94010, Creteil Cedex, France

    Jean Pierre Gautray

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  1. Jean Pierre Gautray
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  1. Foundation for Education and Research in Histo- and Cytopathology, Paris, France

    Jean de Brux

  2. M. S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA

    Rodrigue Mortel

  3. University of Paris Val de Marne, Creteil, France

    Jean Pierre Gautray

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© 1981 Plenum Press, New York

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Gautray, J.P. (1981). Menstrual Cycle: Some Uncertain Aspects. In: de Brux, J., Mortel, R., Gautray, J.P. (eds) The Endometrium. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3977-9_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-3977-9_1

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