Bone Marrow-Derived Cells Trafficking to the Oviduct: Effect of Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

The oviduct/fallopian tube is a crucial organ in the mammalian reproductive tract; it plays a critical role in gamete transportation and early embryo development. In women, torsion of the fallopian tubes can cause ischemia and reperfusion (IR) injury. In this study, we tested the effect of this injury on recruitment of bone marrow-derived cells (BMDCs) to the oviducts of reproductive age female mice. Bone marrow-derived cells were collected from ubiquitin-green fluorescent protein-positive male mice and transplanted into wild-type female mice. Ischemia and reperfusion injury was performed in half of the mice, while controls received equivalent surgery without oviduct injury. Two weeks following injury, recruitment of BMDCs to the oviducts was analyzed in both groups. Ischemia and reperfusion injury caused a greater than 2-fold increase in BMDC recruitment to the injured oviducts compared to those without injury. Specifically, the recruitment of BMDCs was localized to the stroma of the oviduct. We demonstrate that IR injury to oviduct recruits BMDCs to this tissue and suggest that BMDCs have function in the healing process.