Am. Ricken et K. Spanelborowski, IMMUNOLOCALIZATION OF NEUROPHYSIN IN CYTOKERATIN-POSITIVE LUTEAL CELLS OF COWS, HISTOCHEM C, 106(5), 1996, pp. 487-493
We have recently detected a subgroup of cytokeratin (CK)-positive lute
al cells in the bovine corpus luteum of the early and mid-luteal phase
, but not in that of pregnancy. Since, according to the literature, ne
urophysin (NP)-positive luteal cells behave comparably, simple immunoh
istochemistry and double labeling were used to identify in serial sect
ions whether the presence of NP coincided with that of CK. The numbers
of CK-positive cells and NP-positive luteal cells were comparable thr
oughout the estrous cycle, decreasing from early to late luteal phase.
While few CK-positive cells were found in the for mer thecal layer du
ring the early luteal phase, many CK-positive cells appeared in the fo
rmer granulosal layer. NP-positive cells were only detected in the for
mer granulosal layer. During the mid-luteal phase, the CK-positive cel
ls consisted of small and large luteal cells, but only large NP-positi
ve cells were found. Roughly 80% of the large CK-positive cells contai
ned NP, whereas CK was lacking in more than 50% of the NP-positive cel
ls. The corpora lutea of pregnancy contained neither CK-positive nor N
P-positive cells. The significance of the simultaneous occurrence of C
K and NP remains to be elucidated.