title: Morphological Analysis for Neuron-Like Cells in the Vomeronasal Organ of Human Fetuses at the Middle of Gestation.
abstract: The vomeronasal organ (VNO) of 5-month-old fetuses was examined immunohistochemically by the use of an antiserum to protein gene product 9.5 (PGP). The purpose was to identify if the human fetal VNO is lined by neuroepithelium. The PGP antiserum labeled abundant cells within the vomeronasal epithelium (VE), nerve fiber bundles in its lamina propria, and cells associated with these bundles. PGP-immunoreactive (ir) vomeronasal epithelial cells were classified into three subtypes. Type I cells, about 44% of the total cells observed, did not have any processes and tended to be located in the basal layer of the VE. Type II cells, about 37% had a single apical process that projected toward the lumen, ending at the epithelial surface. Type III cells sent a prominent process mainly toward the basement membrane, and occupied about 19% of the total cells observed. In the lamina propria, a considerable number of PGP-ir cells was observed. Some of them were present in nerve fiber bundles and contained processes parallel to the bundles. In addition, PGP-ir nerve fiber bundles and cells associated with them were even present in the portion of the nasal septal mucosa that was very close to the brain. The present results strongly suggested that the VE in human fetuses at mid-gestation is a neuroepithelium and that the VE may produce migrating cells toward the brain.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.|Sakai Electron Microscopy Application Laboratory, Saitama, Japan.|Department of Physiology, Iwate Medical University School of Dentistry, Iwate, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takami
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Maiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yukimatsu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy Faculty of Medicine, Kyorin Unversity, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Matsumura
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.|Department of Anatomy, Kawasaki Medical School, Okayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Sawa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Horie
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Health Sciences, Kyorin University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
mesh_terms: D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009300:Nasal Septum / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D009831:Olfactory Mucosa / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011506:Proteins
keywords: human fetus; immunohistochemically; neuroepithelium; protein gene product 9.5; vomeronasal organ