Yu S Y, Tozzi C A, Babiarz J, Leppert P C
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, New York 14621, USA.
Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1995 Sep;209(4):360-8. doi: 10.3181/00379727-209-43908.
The structural arrangement of collagen fibers in cervical ripening was studied in normal pregnant rats by picrosirius red staining and polarized light microscopy. The macromolecular arrangement of collagen fibers in the cervices of nonpregnant controls and in firm and rigid cervices of rats in early pregnancy (1-10 days of gestation) were optically anisotropic and had birefringence and a positive sign of elongation when examined by polarized light microscopy. The findings indicated that the structure of these collagen fibers was assembled from well-packed parallel collagen molecules. The direction of fibrous formation was arranged with regularity. In contrast, most of the collagen fibers in the soft cervices were optically isotropic. The fibers were fragmented and had a structure with discontinuous birefringence. Disarray and disorientation of the collagen fibers was found in the soft cervices. These collagen fibers changed their direction of formation. The disorganization of these collagen fibers might have a major impact on weakening the tensile strength of the cervix. Thus, we conclude that the processes of rearrangement of collagen fibers might be an important process in the cervical ripening. Electron microscopic studies suggest that in the focal hydrolytic processes of collagen and other matrix components degradation by lysosomal and phagosomal vesicles were associated with atrophic smooth muscle cells and fibroblasts of the cervices. Hydrolases released from lysosomes from these apoptotic cells may presumably be one of the processes in the remodeling of collagen structure.
通过天狼星红染色和偏振光显微镜，研究了正常妊娠大鼠宫颈成熟过程中胶原纤维的结构排列。在偏振光显微镜下观察，未孕对照组大鼠以及妊娠早期（妊娠1 - 10天）宫颈坚韧和僵硬的大鼠宫颈中，胶原纤维的大分子排列呈光学各向异性，具有双折射现象和正伸长符号。这些结果表明，这些胶原纤维的结构是由排列紧密的平行胶原分子组装而成。纤维形成的方向排列规则。相比之下，柔软宫颈中的大多数胶原纤维呈光学各向同性。纤维破碎，具有不连续双折射的结构。在柔软宫颈中发现胶原纤维排列紊乱、方向不定。这些胶原纤维改变了它们的形成方向。这些胶原纤维的紊乱可能对削弱宫颈的抗张强度有重大影响。因此，我们得出结论，胶原纤维的重排过程可能是宫颈成熟的一个重要过程。电子显微镜研究表明，在胶原和其他基质成分的局灶性水解过程中，溶酶体和吞噬体小泡的降解与宫颈萎缩的平滑肌细胞和成纤维细胞有关。这些凋亡细胞溶酶体释放的水解酶可能是胶原结构重塑的过程之一。
