[Rheology of human cervical mucus--with special reference to measurement of viscoelasticity using various rheometers]

Abstract

Cervical mucus is egg white-like mucus that increases in the female cervical canal and external os of the uterus at ovulatory phase. Spermatozoa climb up through this mucus to the uterine tube, where they meet an oocyte causing fertilization. If this cervical mucus has quality or quantity problems, spermatozoa are unable to ascend. Then, so-called infertility due to cervical hostility would occur(5% in general). One day before ovulation, because there is the highest amount of cervical mucus, the greatest degree of Spinnbarkeit and the lowest degree of viscoelasticity, spermatozoa are able to penetrate it in the easiest way according to the paper by Moghissi KS, et al. In another paper by Wolf DP, et al., the strict measuring of the cervical mucus Spinnbarkeit and viscoelasticity using magnetic microrheometer was explained. On the other hand, we were able to calculate in an easier way the cervical mucus viscoelasticity by the NEVA (new equipment for viscosity assessment) meter (Ishikawa Iron Works Corporation, Kitakyushu). We review the rheology of human cervical mucus including our data with the NEVA meter.