DYE-COUPLING BETWEEN TERM PREGNANT HUMAN MYOMETRIAL CELLS BEFORE LABOR - CARBOXYFLUORESCEIN VERSUS LUCIFER YELLOW

Term pregnant human myometrial cells in whole mounts were microinjecte d by pressure with the fluorescent probes Lucifer Yellow and carboxyfl uorescein. Tissues obtained from acute and elective sections displayed weak dye-coupling when injected with Lucifer Yellow. Injection of car boxyfluorescein into cells from the elective sections resulted in a mo re extensive dye-coupling than that observed with Lucifer Yellow. Thes e results indicate that term pregnant human myometrial cells are metab olically coupled before labor and carbooxyfluorescein is superior to L ucifer Yellow in detecting the coupling.