Yoshida-Matsuoka J, Osada T, Mori Y, Ichikawa M
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute for Neuroscience, Japan.
Anat Embryol (Berl). 1999 Mar;199(3):215-24. doi: 10.1007/s004290050222.
The development of the rat vomeronasal organ was studied morphologically and immunocytochemically, using the monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) VOBM1, VOBM2 and VOM2 that react with the luminal surface of the vomeronasal sensory epithelium. Postnatal day (P) 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and adult animals were examined. The vomeronasal organ and the blood vessel of the organ markedly increased in size and the vomeronasal glands increased in number between P7 and P14. At P35, the shape of the vomeronasal organ was similar to that of the adult but its size was slightly smaller. Electron microscopy showed that only a few scattered microvilli were present on supporting cells, and receptor cells were immature at P7. At P21, well-branched microvilli of the receptor cells and many microvilli of the supporting cells were observed on the luminal surface of the sensory epithelium. At P35, most apical endings of supporting cells and receptor cells were covered with numerous microvilli. Less developed areas were also present at the luminal surface of the epithelium at P35. At P7, immunoreactivities of the three antibodies were observed as discontinuous thin-layered bands only on the luminal surface of the sensory epithelium and no immunoreactivity was observed in other regions of the vomeronasal organ. Immunoreactivities of the VOBM1, VOBM2 and VOM2 increased with age and were observed as continuous thin-layered bands on the luminal surface of the epithelium by P35. These finding suggest that the development of the vomeronasal organ continues after birth and that the organ may reach maturity just before puberty (P42-49).
利用与犁鼻器感觉上皮腔面发生反应的单克隆抗体（MAbs）VOBM1、VOBM2和VOM2，对大鼠犁鼻器的发育进行了形态学和免疫细胞化学研究。对出生后第（P）7、14、21、28、35天的动物以及成年动物进行了检查。在出生后第7天至第14天之间，犁鼻器及其血管的大小显著增加，犁鼻腺的数量也有所增加。在出生后第35天，犁鼻器的形状与成年犁鼻器相似，但其大小略小。电子显微镜检查显示，在出生后第7天，支持细胞上仅存在少数散在的微绒毛，且受体细胞不成熟。在出生后第21天，在感觉上皮的腔面上观察到受体细胞有分支良好的微绒毛以及支持细胞的许多微绒毛。在出生后第35天，支持细胞和受体细胞的大多数顶端末梢都覆盖有大量微绒毛。在出生后第35天，上皮的腔面也存在发育较差的区域。在出生后第7天，仅在感觉上皮的腔面上观察到三种抗体的免疫反应性呈不连续的薄层条带，在犁鼻器的其他区域未观察到免疫反应性。VOBM1、VOBM2和VOM2的免疫反应性随年龄增加，到出生后第35天，在腔面上观察到连续的薄层条带。这些发现表明，犁鼻器在出生后仍继续发育，并且该器官可能在青春期前（出生后第42 - 49天）达到成熟。
