title: [Postnatal development of the ovarian surface epithelium (author's transl)].
abstract: The peritoneal epithelium of the ovary on one to 49 day-old albino rats was investigated using light and electron microscopy and ultracytochemical methods. The aim of the present work was to clarify the role of the epithelium in the development of oocytes and follicles. At birth the epithelial covering of the ovary is stratified. This condition is associated with oocytes embedded in the surface epithelium. With the light and electron microscope superificial and deeper cells can be seen. The superficial layer exhibits wide intercellular spaces apical bounded by gap junctions. With increasing age these spaces become filled with homogeneous electron dense material. The basal cells have numerous cytoplasmic protrusions and interdigitations. Moreover from the surface epithelium cortical cords, containing clusters of oocytes, reach into the ovarian stroma. In every epithelial cell some lysosomes and pinocytotic vesicles are present, the latter preferably located under the plasmalemma of superficial cells lining the intercellular spaces. The basal cytoplasm of the deeper cells exhibit granules with an electron dense content. Using ultracytochemical methods we have identified most of them as lysosomes too. The greatest amount of granules is found in the 2nd week of life, then they decrease in number with increasing age. The observations have revealed evidence for intensive interactions between peritoneal cavity, surface epithelium, intercellular spaces, and tunica albuginea (including processes of resorption and secretion). The epithelial covering obviously plays a nutritive role for oocytes and the ovarian cortex. During the 2nd week of life the surface epithelium becomes reduced to a simple epithelium as the oocytes migrate into the ovarian cortex. At the same time the epithelium becomes separated from the oocyte-bearing cords by a definite tunica albuginea. The epithelial cords disintegrate leaving primordial follicles. These observations suggest, that the follicle epithelial cells are derived from the ovarian surface epithelium and the epithelial cords.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development; D010053:Ovary / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats
vernacular_title: Die postnatale Entwicklung des Oberflächenepithels des Rattenovars.