Roux E, Kan F W
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada.
Anat Rec. 1995 Mar;241(3):369-76. doi: 10.1002/ar.1092410311.
We have previously localized an antigen of oviductal origin in the zona pellucida of postovulatory hamster ova. This antigen is a high molecular weight glycoprotein secreted by the non-ciliated secretory cells of the oviduct and is later transferred to the zona pellucida of the oocyte during oviductal transit. This glycoprotein is rich in N-acetyl-D-galactosamine residues and has been designated Hamster Oviductin-1. In the present study, a monoclonal antibody (MAb) raised against this oviductin was used to detect the presence of this antigen in oviductal tissue during the estrous cycle.
Twenty mature female golden hamsters were used and were divided into five groups of five animals each according to the five different stages of the estrous cycle. Quantitative immunocytochemistry was performed on MAb-labeled thin sections of Lowicryl-embedded ampullary region of hamster oviducts. Control experiments were also carried out to assess the specificity of the immunolabeling.
Quantitative analysis of the immunogold labeling indicated that maximum labeling for oviductin in the secretory granules of oviductal epithelial secretory cells was found around the time of ovulation, i.e., at estrus. The intensity of immunolabeling decreased from metestrus to diestrus 1, was at a minimum at diestrus 2, and started to increase at proestrus.
Together, these quantitative results indicate that expression of oviductin in the secretory granules of the hamster oviductal secretory cells is stage specific. Maximum labeling for the antigen coincides with the time of ovulation suggesting an important role for the oviductal epithelium in contributing its secretory product to the zona pellucida of oocytes freshly released from the ovary. Since the oviduct is the site of sperm-egg interaction and where fertilization and early embryo development take place, the maximal production of oviductin at the time of ovulation may facilitate some of these crucial steps during the intricate process of reproduction.
我们之前已将一种输卵管源性抗原定位在排卵后仓鼠卵子的透明带中。这种抗原是一种由输卵管非纤毛分泌细胞分泌的高分子量糖蛋白，随后在输卵管转运过程中转移至卵母细胞的透明带。这种糖蛋白富含N - 乙酰 - D - 半乳糖胺残基，并已被命名为仓鼠输卵管蛋白 - 1。在本研究中，使用针对这种输卵管蛋白产生的单克隆抗体（MAb）来检测发情周期中输卵管组织中该抗原的存在情况。
使用20只成熟雌性金黄仓鼠，根据发情周期的五个不同阶段将其分为五组，每组五只动物。对用Lowicryl包埋的仓鼠输卵管壶腹部区域的MAb标记薄切片进行定量免疫细胞化学分析。还进行了对照实验以评估免疫标记的特异性。
免疫金标记的定量分析表明，在排卵前后，即发情期，在输卵管上皮分泌细胞的分泌颗粒中发现输卵管蛋白的标记量最大。免疫标记强度从动情后期到间情期1逐渐降低，在间情期2时最低，而在发情前期开始增加。
总之，这些定量结果表明仓鼠输卵管分泌细胞分泌颗粒中输卵管蛋白的表达具有阶段特异性。抗原的最大标记量与排卵时间一致，这表明输卵管上皮在向刚从卵巢释放的卵母细胞的透明带贡献其分泌产物方面发挥重要作用。由于输卵管是精卵相互作用以及受精和早期胚胎发育发生的部位，排卵时输卵管蛋白的最大产量可能有助于在复杂的生殖过程中的一些关键步骤。
