title: Changes in intralysosomal environment in the uterine epithelium during early pregnancy in the rat.
abstract: Non-specific acid phosphatase activity was studied in the rat uterine luminal and glandular epithelium at oestrous, late dioestrous, and 6th d of pregnancy using the substrates beta-glycerophosphate and p-nitrophenyl phosphate, at both pH = 5.0 and pH = 6.0. At late dioestrous and 6th d of pregnancy, a significantly larger lysosomal population in the luminal and glandular epithelium was operating at pH = 5.0 rather than pH = 6.0. At oestrous, the epithelial lysosomes showed no preference for an operational pH = 5.0 or 6.0. Uniquely, the luminal epithelial lysosomes showed a significant preference for the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate over beta-glycerophosphate at 6th d of pregnancy, compared to no substrate preference at oestrous and late dioestrous. The activity of 5-Nucleotidase was also estimated semi-quantitatively at oestrous, late dioestrous, and 6th d of pregnancy in the luminal and glandular epithelium. 5-Nucleotidase activity was greatest in the luminal and glandular epithelium at 6th d of pregnancy. These findings are considered with respect to the possible mechanisms involved in implementing the changes and the relevance to blastocyst implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology and Embryology, University of Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: A T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D015720:5'-Nucleotidase / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000135:Acid Phosphatase; D015720:5'-Nucleotidase