Structural and immunohistochemical aspects of the postovulatory follicle in Japanese quail.

In the present study, we searched for the presence of granulosa lipid spheres, of lacunae, and of the smooth-muscle markers desmin and alpha-smooth-muscle actin, in the wall of the POF1 of the quail ovary. Lacunae, using the labelled yolk technique, were visible as large cavities in the POF1 wall. The immunohistochemical localization of desmin was similar to that observed in preovulatory follicles. A similar distribution was observed using an anti-alpha-smooth-muscle actin antiserum, but the cells of the theca externa were also positively stained. The general conclusion was that the studied structures were similarly localized in the follicle wall, before and during the day after ovulation, but that they are more obvious in the POF, due to its general contracted state.