正常月経周期および妊娠初期におけるヒト子宮内膜上皮の超微形態学的構造について

Abstract

In has been well recongnized that the uterine endometrium is the tissue which is very sensitively responding to the sex hormone stimulation and extensive search for the endmetrial alteration in various menstrual cycle and gestational stage may faciliate the clarification of the causation of abortion or malformation.In this connection, the author has investigated the ultrastructural changes of the endometrium in various menstrual cycle and early stage of gestation.Five cases of adult female were subjected for this investigation. Determination of the various menstrual cycle was made in virtue of the basal body temperture measurement.The results obtained were as follows:(1) The secretory function is activated in accordance with proliferative, ovulatory, secretory phases and implanted site of the decidua.The parietal decidua which is apart from the implanted site disclosed the secretory effect to a lesser extent than the basal decidua.In this connection, decrease of free ribosomes, swelling of the mitochondria and increase of rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum consist most striking ultrastructural features.(2) The normal endometrial lining layer is lined with clear and dark cells.The dark cells may possess striking increase of cellular transport mechanism and also disclose intense stainability to the ruthenium red stain.The ultrastructural study of the dark cells also reveals marked increase of the rough-surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi complexes ans secretory granules. The presence of the abundant secretory granules in this cell may reflect a possibility that the cells possess pronounced secretory function in comparison with clear cell.(3) The secretory granules in secretory phase are composing of rather small rounded granules of variable sizes and variable stain intensity.The finding may suggest a possibility that the cells are forming various precursers of the granules which are eventually being secreted in matured form.The granules are essentially devoid of the staining property in conventional electron stain and appear to be basically composed of lipid, however, in view point that the granules also disclose PAM stainability which suggest that the granules also contain mucopolysaccharide as one of the main constituents.Incidentally the holocrine pattern secretion is also unfrequently encountered.(4) The thickening and stain intensity to the ruthenium red stain are observed in order of proliferative, ovulatory and secretory phases, measuring approximately 200Å to 300Å in thickeness in the uterine glandular epithelum.The distribution of the coarse granularity to the lining of the glandular structure of the uterine endometrium suggests the marked negative electron charge.