I. Eldanasouri et al., IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-ALPHA AND EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR RECEPTOR IN HUMAN FALLOPIAN-TUBES AND CUMULUS CELLS, American journal of reproductive immunology [1989], 30(2-3), 1993, pp. 82-87
PROBLEM: Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) has been shown t
o be a potent stimulant of oocyte maturation and embryonic development
. The role of maternal growth factors and their mechanism of action in
early mammalian development is not well understood. METHOD: In this s
tudy, the presence of TGF-alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor (
EGF-R) in human cumulus cells and fallopian tubes was investigated by
immunocytochemical techniques. RESULTS: The fallopian tube showed inte
nse staining for TGF-alpha in the apical region of the epithelial cell
s, and the cumulus cells showed intense staining for EGF-R on cell mem
branes. CONCLUSION: The presence of TGF-alpha in the fallopian tube ep
ithelium and its receptor on cumulus cells suggest a paracrine mechani
sm between maternal growth factors and the developing embryo.