This ultrastructural study reveals that the collagen of the relaxed symphysis pubis is decomposed by some substance in multivesicular structures of symphyseal fibroblasts. The multivesicular structures appear identical to those found in fibroblasts of the ovarian follicle. The data support the hypothesis that these multivesicular structures are instrumental in preovulatory decomposition of mammalian follicles. (Endocrinology 93: 1441(Endocrinology 93: , 1973 HE symphysis pubis of the guinea pig is predominantly dense collagenous tissue. Under physiological conditions this tissue decomposes in response to relaxin (1,2). Likewise, the tunica albuginea and theca externa in the Graafian follicle of the mammalian ovary consist of dense collagenous tissue. In the hours preceding ovulation, this thecal framework undergoes physiological deterioration which results in a marked decrease in the tensile strength of the follicle wall (3,4). The specific cause(s) of the preovulatory decomposition are uncertain; however, recent ultrastructural studies of the rabbit ovary have revealed that follicular fibroblasts produce unusual multivesicular structures which protrude from the cell surface and appear to digest the adjacent extracellular collagen (5, 6). The general appearance of these structures Received November 17, 1972.
Ovaries were removed from female rats and immediately autografted into a subcutaneous pouch in the flank in order to quantitate the relationship of graft re-innervation, steroid secretion and vaginal smear pattern. Animals were killed at thre time periods: three days after grafting, on the first day a cornified vaginal smear appeared and at the first metestrus. In addition, control animals were killed at metestrus. Plasma samples were obtained from all rats and analyzed for estradiol-17beta and progesterone concentration by radioimmunoassay. At the first day of vaginal cornification after grafting, plasma estradiol-17beta (45.8+/-4.0 pg/ml) was elevated in comparison to controls at metestrus (24.0+/-2.6 pg/ml), but plasma progesterone (21.5+/-4.0 ng/ml) was not different (30.6+/-1.7 ng/ml). Subsequently, at the first metestrus following grafting, plasma estradiol-17beta (23.0+/-3.5 pg/ml) was comparable to control values. In contrast, progesterone was decreased (17.5+/-1.9 ng/ml). A definite correlation was detected between the vaginal smear and plasma levels of steroid hormones in the castrated female rat with subcutaneous ovarian autographs Histochemical techniques were used to study the adrenergic and cholinergic innervations of grafts three days after grafting, at the first day of vaginal cornification, and at the first metestrus. No correlation was shown between density of adrenergic or cholinergic innervation and plasma levels of estradiol-17beta and progesterone or onset of a cycling vaginal smear.
Endometrial antigens with MW of 34, 46/48, 64, 94 and 120 kDa, especially 64 kDa appear to be specific, immunogenic and relevant to endometrial autoimmunity in all patients with endometriosis.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.