A. Kress et al., CYTOKERATIN EXPRESSION IN THE DEVELOPING VAGINA OF THE POSTNATAL GERBIL (MERIONES-UNGUICULATUS), Annals of anatomy, 177(5), 1995, pp. 439-446
During postnatal development the vaginal epithelium of the Mongolian g
erbil is transformed from two to three layers into a stratified, first
mucified subsequently keratinized squamous epithelium. Changes in the
expression of cytokeratins were studied and the immunohistochemical r
esults compared with the ultrastructural findings at the corresponding
stage. The first 10 postnatal days (days pn) were characterized by a
moderate, positive immunoreaction for pancytokeratin in all vaginal ce
ll layers. A faint reaction was caused by mAB CK 18.01 against CK 1, 5
, 6 and 8. The appearance of mucous granules in the luminal cells afte
r 15 pn seemed to coincide with an increase in cytokeratins. The immun
oresponse for pancytokeratin in these cells was very intense compared
with the reaction in the basal cell layers. Mucocytes during developme
nt and at proestrus were the only cells which reacted faintly positive
with mAB against CK 18 alone. The keratinizing epithelium, which diff
erentiates after day 40 pn, reacted strongly positive for pancytokerat
in in the keratinizing layers, desquamating, fully keratinized cells,
however, showed a negative reaction. The data indicate that mucocytes
are not transformed squamous keratinized cells, but represent a cell c
ategory with its individual differentiation potential. Vimentin was no
t expressed. Neither the epithelium of the sinus vagina nor of the Mul
lerian vagina displayed any response.