In-vitro synthesis of total protein and placental protein PP14 by the fallopian tube mucosa: variation in relation to anatomical site, the ovarian cycle and the menopause.

De-novo synthesis and secretion of protein by short term explants of mucosa from each anatomical section of the Fallopian tube and endometrium of pre-menopausal (n = 25) and tubal mucosa of post-menopausal (n = 5) women were studied by demonstration of incorporation of radiolabelled L-[35S]methionine and one-dimensional SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A consistent finding in 25 pre-menopausal women was the presence of a 25 kDa protein band synthesized by tissue obtained throughout the ovarian cycle. Western blotting demonstrated that this protein band contained placental protein 14 (PP14)-like immunoreactivity in the proliferative (n = 2) and luteal phase (n = 2) of the ovarian cycle. To determine if there is quantitative variation in total protein and PP14 synthesis and secretion during the ovarian cycle, the total quantities of protein and PP14 synthesized were determined by Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining and radioimmunoassay respectively. Analysis of the results of total protein assay revealed statistically significant differences in relation to the anatomical origin of the study tissue (P < 0.01), the stage of the ovarian cycle (P < 0.04) and the manner in which each anatomical site varied during the ovarian cycle (P < 0.01), the endometrium being significantly different from the Fallopian tube. When the data for PP14 synthesized by the Fallopian tube mucosa were analysed, these effects were not seen. PP14 was not detected in the culture media of Fallopian tube mucosa obtained from post-menopausal women.