Comparative SEM analysis of porcine Fallopian tube regions and a 3D ALI oviduct cell culture model for biocompatibility testing

Abstract

The Fallopian tubes are essential for fertilisation and early embryonic development, functioning as a sperm reservoir, regulating sperm release, providing optimal conditions for early embryos, and enabling oocyte and embryo transport to the uterus. Tubal pathologies such as stenosis are major causes of infertility, while current treatments like in vitro fertilisation (IFV) or tubal surgery are costly and carry surgical risks. Innovative microstents offer promising minimally invasive alternatives to restore tubal patency. Due to their anatomical similarity to human Fallopian tubes, porcine oviducts provide a suitable source of primary epithelial cells for establishing an application‑relevant 3D airliquid‑interface (ALI) cell model for microstent biocompatibility testing. In this study, the native morphology of porcine oviduct segments (isthmus, ampulla, infundibulum) was examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Further, the morphology of the native isthmus was compared with an in vitro 3D ALI cell culture model of isthmus epithelial cells. Distinct structural features of the isthmus were identified, offering important insights for both an epithelial cell culture model and targeted microstent implantation.