[A cytochemical study of acid-phosphatase activity in follicular granulosa cells of human ovaries (author's transl)].
In order to clarify the nature and possible roles of lysosome-like granules observed electronmicroscopically in the granulosa cells of human preovulatory follicles, lysosomal activities in human preovulatory granulosa cells were investigated ultrastructurally by staining a marker enzyme acid phosphatase with modified Gomori technique. In the granulosa cells of follicles 10 approximately 15 mm in diameter, acid phosphatase reaction products were seen only in the Golgi apparatus. In follicles around 20 mm in diameter with extremely thin apical walls, granulosa cells with abundant nexuses and steroidogenic organelles (sER, large spherical mitochondria with tubular cristae and lipid-droplets), had many lysosome-like granules in the perinuclear regions and/or close to lipid droplets. Acid phosphatase reaction products were observed mainly in these granules, and infrequently in Golgi apparatus. These morphological results not only identify such granules as lysosomes, but also indicate that the granulosa cells are rich in the lysosomal activity. Possible roles of lysosomes in preovulatory granulosa cells deduced from the present results are as follows, 1) a role in steroidogenesis or in steroid-secretion, 2) an involvement in the ovulatory process with their proteolytic enzymes.
D000135:Acid Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010060:Ovulation
D000135:Acid Phosphatase