Instructions for use Title MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE JUNCTURA CELLS OF THE RAT OVIDUCT AFTER HORMONAL TREATMENT

Morphological changes of the epithelium of the uterotubal junction (UTj) by prolonged treatment of 17 (1-estradiol, progesterone or oxytocin in ovariecto-mized rats was studied at the ultrastructural level. The epithelium of the UTj in ovariectomized and oxytocin treated rats was characterized by the appearance of a number of immature epithelial cells and a few ciliated cells. Sometimes a few secretory granules and lysosome-like stuctures were found. After estradiol treatment, the epithelial cells were characterized by a rough surfaced endoplas-mic reticulum(rER) with remarkably dilated cisternae and well developed Golgi apparatus. These epithelial cells showed active formation of the secretory granules but no evidence of their secretion. After progesterone treatment, the epithelial cells were shown to have numerous cytoplamic protrusions of various shapes and sizes. A few peg-cells and a lamellar structure in the secretory granules were ,shown. These data suggest that the formation of the secretory granules in the epithelial cells of the UTj became active by estradiol treatment, whereas their active release exclusively due to the progesterone treatment.