title: The sialoglycoconjugates in the oviducts of fertile and postmenopausal women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to investigate the distribution of the sialoderivatives of the glycoconjugates in the oviduct of normally menstruating and postmenopausal women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Biopsies of ampullary and isthmic portions of the oviduct were obtained from fertile women, in proliferative and secretive phases, and from postmenopausal subjects. The study was carried out using digoxigenin-labelled lectins (MAA, SNA and PNA) in addition to the use of enzymatic and chemical treatments to characterize the different glycosidic linkages of the sialoderivatives and to obtain information on their structure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No appreciable difference in sialoderivatives distribution was observed among the oviducts, particularly at the epithelium luminal surface, of the fertile women in the two menstrual cycle phases or among those of the fertile and some postmenopausal women, independently from age. Moreover, no appreciable difference of distribution was observed between the ampullary and the isthmic portions in both the study groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the fertile women sialoderivatives present at the luminal surface of the epithelial cells could play a role in sperm capacitation and mobility, and facilitate the transit of the egg and of the early embryo along the oviducts. The similar distribution of sialoderivatives in the oviduct epithelium of some postmenopausal women of different age, compared to the fertile ones, suggests a maintaining of some functions of the organ, independently from the age of the woman. This could be due, in some cases, to the influence of remaining still sufficient sex hormonal levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy Histology and Forensic Medicine, Policlinic of Careggi, Viale Morgagni, 85, 50134 Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Gherardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gheri
authors.forename: Ivo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Noci
authors.forename: Chiara F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Gheri
authors.forename: Debora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Vichi
authors.forename: Giorgia D Zappoli
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Thyrion
authors.forename: Mirca
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marini
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Buccoliero
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sgambati
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D006001:Glycoconjugates / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D017698:Postmenopause; D012794:Sialic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006001:Glycoconjugates; D012794:Sialic Acids