Expression of hepatocyte nuclear factor-1beta in human urogenital tract during the embryonic stage.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate hepatocyte nuclear factor-1beta (HNF-1beta) expression in the human urogenital tract during the embryonic stage.


METHODS
Twelve human fetuses (2 fetuses of undetermined sex, 5 males and 5 females) were immunohistochemically examined for HNF-1beta expression.


RESULTS
In the metanephric kidney (metanephros), the renal tubule was selectively positive for HNF-1beta. HNF-1beta expression was detected in mesonephric (wolffian) duct derivatives, including the efferent duct or epididymis, in fetuses at the 12th, 21st and 22nd gestational weeks, but not detected in the müllerian duct derivatives, including the uterus or fallopian tube, infetuses after the 18th gestational week. HNF-1beta was also expressed in remnants of the mesonephric tubule or duct lying in the mesovarium or mesosalpinx, not only in the fetus but also in the adult female (35-82 years old).


CONCLUSIONS
The present study indicates that HNF-1beta is involved in the development of mesonephric duct derivatives and metanephros and that HNF-1beta expression is conserved in the mesonephric duct remnants throughout life. Uncommon HNF-1beta expression in müllerian duct derivatives implies that involvement of HNF-1beta in the müllerian duct system is limited to a specific embryonic period.
Kato
Noriko
N
Department of Pathology, Yamagata University School of Medicine, 2-2-2 Iida-nishi, Yamagata 990-9585, Japan. nkato@med.id.yamagata-u.ac.jp
Motoyama
Teiichi
T