Kiso Y, Yoshizawa M, Wilson J A, McBey B A, Croy B A
Department of Veterinary Anatomy, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
J Reprod Immunol. 1994 Dec;27(3):213-25. doi: 10.1016/0165-0378(94)90005-1.
Granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells are a natural killer (NK) cell-like population present in large numbers in the pregnant rodent uterus. By day 8 of gestation GMG cells are large and granulated and localized to the mesometrial side of each implantation site. GMG cells appear to be highly migratory both in vivo and in vitro; however, little is known regarding their functions. Using indirect fluorescence immunohistochemistry, murine uteri and implantation sites were studied on successive days of gestation to characterize the extracellular matrix receptors of the VLA-integrin family displayed by GMG cells. On days 3 and 6 of gestation, double immunostaining using the monoclonal antibody LGL-1 was employed to recognize GMG cells because their morphology early in pregnancy resembles that of other lymphocytes. Between days 8-15 of gestation, GMG cells can be recognized by their unique morphology. The day 3 and day 6 LGL-1+ cells were positive for all antigens examined; that is, beta 1 plus alpha 1, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5 and alpha 6. From days 8-15 of gestation, GMG cells were beta 1+, alpha 4+, alpha 5+ but alpha 1-, alpha 3-, alpha 6-. Thus, between days 6-8 of gestation, major changes occur in the uterine NK/GMG cell population which include the loss of the surface molecules VLA alpha 1, alpha 3 and alpha 6 or the rapid expansion of NK cells not expressing these proteins. It is postulated that major changes in the functions of uterine NK cells are likely to be associated with these alterations in cell surface phenotype and that functional studies of uterine NK cells should focus upon this relatively early gestational time point.
颗粒状蜕膜腺（GMG）细胞是一种自然杀伤（NK）细胞样群体，大量存在于妊娠啮齿动物的子宫中。在妊娠第8天时，GMG细胞体积大且含有颗粒，定位于每个着床部位的子宫系膜侧。GMG细胞在体内和体外似乎都具有高度迁移性；然而，关于它们的功能却知之甚少。利用间接荧光免疫组织化学方法，在妊娠的连续几天对小鼠子宫和着床部位进行研究，以表征GMG细胞所展示的VLA整合素家族的细胞外基质受体。在妊娠第3天和第6天，使用单克隆抗体LGL-1进行双重免疫染色来识别GMG细胞，因为它们在妊娠早期的形态与其他淋巴细胞相似。在妊娠第8 - 15天之间，GMG细胞可通过其独特的形态识别。第3天和第6天的LGL-1 +细胞对所有检测的抗原呈阳性；即β1加上α1、α3、α4、α5和α6。从妊娠第8 - 15天，GMG细胞为β1 +、α4 +、α5 +但α1 -、α3 -、α6 -。因此，在妊娠第6 - 8天之间，子宫NK/GMG细胞群体发生了重大变化，其中包括表面分子VLAα1、α3和α6的丢失或不表达这些蛋白的NK细胞的快速扩增。据推测，子宫NK细胞功能的重大变化可能与细胞表面表型的这些改变有关，并且子宫NK细胞的功能研究应关注这个相对较早的妊娠时间点。
