title: Histological study of granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells in beige (DA-bg/bg) rats.
abstract: To clarify the roles of granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells for successful pregnancy in rats, GMG cells in beige rats (genotype: DA-bg/bg), whose NK cells show lysosomal dysfunction because of abnormalities in cytoplasmic granules, were examined in mid- and late-pregnancy by light and electron microscopies. The GMG cells of beige rats were significantly less in number than those of the two controls (genotypes: DA-bg/+ and DA-+/+) in mid- and late-pregnancy, and this accompanied a low reproductive performance in the beige rats. The size of intracellular granules in the GMG cells of the beige rats was larger than for the two controls on each corresponding day of pregnancy. These results suggest that the activity of rat GMG cells and peripheral NK cells might be influenced by the beige gene, which is involved in reproductive performance.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Yamaguchi University, Japan.
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hondo
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kokubu
authors.forename: Ayusa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nagahisa
authors.forename: Nobuaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamuta
authors.forename: Kiyokazu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ozaki
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sagara
authors.forename: Yasuo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kiso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D008247:Lysosomes / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008791:Metrial Gland / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011247:Pregnancy; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D011922:Rats, Mutant Strains; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: C491134:Lyst protein, rat; D011506:Proteins