E. Hellmen et A. Isaksson, IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL INVESTIGATION INTO THE DISTRIBUTION PATTERN OF MYOEPITHELIAL CELLS IN THE BOVINE MAMMARY-GLAND, Journal of Dairy Research, 64(2), 1997, pp. 197-205
The distribution pattern of myoepithelial cells in the bovine mammary
gland was investigated by an immunohistochemical technique, using mono
clonal antibodies against cytokeratins 5, 6 and 18 and cytokeratins 8
and 14 and against a-smooth-muscle actin filaments. Myoepithelial cell
s were shown to be present as a continuous basal cell layer in the int
ralobular ducts, as discontinuous cell rows in the basal cell layer of
the interlobular ducts, and as single cells dispersed in the basal ce
ll layer of the quarter cisterns, while they were apparently absent in
the teat cisterns. Unlike the case with myoepithelial cells of the hu
man breast, anticytokeratin 14 was less specific as a marker of bovine
myoepithelial cells than was anti-cz-smooth-muscle actin.