Can A, Tekelioğlu M, Baltaci A
Department of Histology and Embryology, Ankara University School of Medicine, Sihhiye, Turkey.
Placenta. 1995 Apr;16(3):261-75. doi: 10.1016/0143-4004(95)90113-2.
Human endometrial stromal cells (decidual cells) display dramatic alterations in cell shape and size during decidualization. The present study was designed to demonstrate the expression of two major cytoskeletal elements, desmin and vimentin, in human pregnant endometrial decidual cells. Additionally, stage-dependent variations of those intermediate filaments (IFs) among gestational weeks were also evaluated with regard to the support and maintenance of decidualization. Materials were obtained from legal suction terminations of pregnancies of 3-10 weeks gestation. Tissue specimens were either blocked in paraffin or enzymatically dissociated for isolation of decidual cells which subsequently were cultured as monolayers. Immunoperoxidase and immunofluorescence staining methods were applied by using anti-desmin and anti-vimentin monoclonal antibodies. Both desmin and vimentin expression were observed during the early weeks of pregnancy (3-6 weeks). These two types of IFs were also detected in short-term cultures in a filamentous fashion either within the cell body or at cellular attachment plaques. When decidual cells were cultured for longer periods (40-60 days), the expression of desmin dramatically declined while vimentin expression was maintained in a rather diffuse and more abundant fashion. The in situ expression of desmin and vimentin in later weeks of gestation (7-10 weeks) correlated with immunofluorescence staining of long-term cultured cells in that desmin staining was very weak and mostly undetectable where vimentin expression persisted and was evenly distributed throughout the entire stroma. The results demonstrate the differential expression of two major IFs, desmin and vimentin, in human endometrial stromal cells during decidualization and subsequent placentation. The persistence of vimentin in all stages examined suggests that this IF is probably involved in cell morphology and nucleocytoplasmic integrity. The temporal pattern of desmin expression suggests a role for this IF during the rapid onset of the decidualization process.
人子宫内膜基质细胞（蜕膜细胞）在蜕膜化过程中呈现出细胞形状和大小的显著变化。本研究旨在证明人妊娠子宫内膜蜕膜细胞中两种主要细胞骨架成分——结蛋白和波形蛋白的表达情况。此外，还评估了这些中间丝（IFs）在妊娠周数之间的阶段依赖性变化，以探讨其对蜕膜化的支持和维持作用。材料取自妊娠3 - 10周合法人工流产的标本。组织标本要么用石蜡包埋，要么酶解以分离蜕膜细胞，随后将其培养成单层细胞。使用抗结蛋白和抗波形蛋白单克隆抗体采用免疫过氧化物酶和免疫荧光染色方法。在妊娠早期（3 - 6周）观察到结蛋白和波形蛋白的表达。在短期培养中，这两种类型的中间丝也以丝状形式在细胞体内或细胞附着斑处被检测到。当蜕膜细胞培养较长时间（40 - 60天）时，结蛋白的表达显著下降，而波形蛋白的表达以一种较为弥散且更丰富的方式维持。在妊娠后期（7 - 10周），结蛋白和波形蛋白的原位表达与长期培养细胞的免疫荧光染色相关，即结蛋白染色非常弱，大多无法检测到，而波形蛋白表达持续存在并均匀分布于整个基质中。结果表明，在人子宫内膜基质细胞蜕膜化及随后的胎盘形成过程中，两种主要中间丝——结蛋白和波形蛋白存在差异表达。波形蛋白在所有检测阶段的持续存在表明，这种中间丝可能参与细胞形态和核质完整性的维持。结蛋白表达的时间模式表明，这种中间丝在蜕膜化过程快速启动期间发挥作用。
