title: Immunohistochemical and electron microscopic observations of stromal cells in the human oviduct mucosa.
abstract: Stromal cells in the lamina propria of the human oviduct mucosa are unique cells that can differentiate into decidual cells during ectopic pregnancy in the oviduct. The nature of stromal cells is still unknown. In the present study, we investigated human oviductal stromal cells with transmission electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry and revealed that they had ultrastructural features similar to myofibroblasts and expressed alpha-smooth muscle actin, a marker used to identify myofibroblasts. Primary cilia were also one of the characteristic profiles of the stromal cells. These findings showed that the connective tissue-stromal cells in the human oviduct mucosa are myofibroblasts. They are considered to play an important role in the transport of oocytes by bringing about contraction of the mucosal folds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-39-22 Showa-machi, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan. hhagiwar@med.gunma-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Haruo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ohwada
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Kuniaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takata
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000166:cytology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D000199:Actins