Histochemical observations on the female reproductive tract of bats. III. Mucosubstances in the Fallopian tube of three species of bats.

The epithelium of the three species of bats studied shows the presence of ciliated and nonciliated cells both in the ovarian and uterine segments of the Fallopian tube of the functional uterine horn. The cytoplasm of these two cells types shows small amount of glycogen during anestrus, the amount increasing during proestrus and estrus. At estrus, the nonciliated cells show the presence of neutral and sialomucins in addition to glycogen in Pteropus giganteus giganteus and Megaderma lyra lyra. The concentration of these mucins was found to decline during pregnancy and parturition. In Taphozous longimanus, the mucins which are located in cytoplasmic projections or domes of the nonciliated cells show the presence of neutral, sialomucins, sulfomucins and glycogen. These mucins which are first seen in the proestrus period increase during estrus. However, during pregnancy, these domes regress concomitant with decline in the mucin content. Glycogen content of the ciliated cells increases during estrus and decreases during pregnancy. Since in all the three species of bats the mucin content is at its maximum at oestrus and shows a decline during pregnancy, it appears that its elaboration and increase is under the influence of estrogen, instead progesterone blocks its generation and brings about its release.