Publication: The mammalian oviductal epithelium: regional variations in cytological and functional aspects of the oviductal secretory cells
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Date
1996
Authors
Abe, H.
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Publisher
Murcia : F. Hernández
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DOI
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info:eu-repo/semantics/article
Description
Abstract
The secretory cells in the epithelium of
mammalian oviducts produce and release various
secretory matenals into the lumen. Secretions from such
cells provide a suitable environment for the events that
occur in the oviductal lumen. This review focuses on the
regional differentiation of the secretory cells in
mammalian oviducts. Many histological studies have
demonstrated regional variations in both the
morphological and ultrastructural features of the
secretory cells in the oviductal epithelium. Regional
differences have been found, for example, in the number
of putative secretory granules in the oviductal secretory
cells. Histochemical and immunocytochemical studies
have also revealed regional differences in the
localization of various materials in the oviductal
epithelium, suggesting the possibility of regional
specificity in the production of various secretory
materials by the oviductal epithelial cells. Recent
biochemical and immunoelectron microscopical studies
have shown that biosynthesis of specific proteins or
glycoproteins is associated with region-specific
variations in epithelial cells in different oviductal
segments. In particular, certain oviduct-specific
glycoproteins are produced by secretory cells in specific
regions of the oviduct and these glycoproteins may
affect fertilization, embryonic development, and sperm
functions. The oviductal epithelial cells also provide
physiological support to gametes and embryos. The
interactions of oviductal epithelial cells with gametes
support the development of embryos and the
maintenance of sperm functions in vitro. Some studies using coculture systems have suggested regional
differences associated with such physiological support
by oviductal epithelial cells. Moreover, the expression
of functional proteins, such as growth factors, show
segmental variations within the oviduct. The regional
variations demonstrated in these studies may reflect
distinct functional differences among the various
segments of the mammalian oviduct. The proposal is presented that despite the fact that the mammalian
oviductal tissue is not very complex in terms of
structure, the oviductal secretory cells may be highly
differentiated along the length of the oviduct.
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