Rg. Gosden et al., QUANTITATIVE AND CYTOCHEMICAL STUDIES OF MAST-CELL PROTEASES IN RAT OVARIES AND UTERI IN VARIOUS REPRODUCTIVE STATES, Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 98(2), 1993, pp. 577-582
A role for mast cell proteases (RMCP I and II) in the cyclical remodel
ling of ovarian and uterine tissues of rats was investigated in the oe
strous and pregnancy cycles using immunocytochemistry and enzyme-linke
d immunosorbent assays. The concentrations of RMCP I exceeded that of
RMCP II by 100-fold in both tissues, but were always much higher in ut
eri than ovaries. Most of the protease activity in the uterus was loca
ted in the myometrium, whereas it was more focally distributed in the
hilus and medulla of the ovary. Protease activity was confined to mast
cells identified by metachromatic staining and no single cell contain
ed both proteases. The concentrations of RMCP I and II in the two orga
ns did not fluctuate throughout the 4-day oestrous cycle. Neither were
RMCP I concentrations in the uterus altered by administration of diet
hylstilboestrol to ovariectomized animals, although total amounts per
uterus were substantially greater than in controls. Concentrations of
RMCP I were substantially reduced in the uterus after day 6 of pregnan
cy and rose during the puerperium. The reduction was greater in pregna
nt than in pseudopregnant horns and tended to be lower in the vicinity
of conceptuses than between them. The physiological significance of t
he lower mast cell protease concentrations is unclear, although their
absence may contribute to the decreased protein catabolism during preg
nancy.