title: Immunohistochemical analysis of collagen expression in human corpora lutea during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the characteristic structure and function of human corpora lutea (CL), various types of collagen expression were determined in the CL tissues during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro experiment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of obstetrics and gynecology at a medical university.
  
  
  METHODS
  Regulatory cycling women and pregnant women with ovarian tumor and ectopic pregnancy who underwent adnexectomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry for human type I, III, and IV collagen with specific monoclonal antibodies was used for analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of type I, III, and IV collagen.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical staining for type I and III collagen revealed intense staining of the CL stroma during early pregnancy, as compared with those in the menstrual cycle. Moreover, pericellular intense immunostaining for type IV collagen was observed around the luteal cells, especially luteal granulosa cells, of early pregnancy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that alterations in distribution of collagen might play an important role in determining the physiology and structure of the CL during the menstrual cycle and early pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama, Japan. masaaki@wakayama-med.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwahashi
authors.forename: Yasuteru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Muragaki
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ooshima
authors.forename: Naohiko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Umesaki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D003094:Collagen