title: Alkaline phosphatase distribution in the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells is markedly altered during early pregnancy in the rat.
abstract: Ultrastructural and light microscopic cytochemical methods were used to study the distribution and changes in distribution of alkaline phosphatase in the apical plasma membrane of rat uterine epithelial cells during different stages of early pregnancy up to the time of attachment of the blastocyst. Reaction product generated by alkaline phosphatase (AP) was located along the apical plasma membrane at each stage investigated. However, a very different organization of reaction product was observed depending on the time during early pregnancy with a continuous pattern appearing all along the microvilli on day 1. This pattern was subsequently converted into a clumped and highly 'patchy' appearance around the time of blastocyst attachment by day 6 of pregnancy. This change in pattern and distribution was only seen on the luminal epithelial cells with glandular epithelial cells and blood vessels displaying an unchanging distribution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Histology, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bucci
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000201:enzymology*; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology; D004848:Epithelium / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013997:Time Factors; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*
chemical_list: D000469:Alkaline Phosphatase