Human Fallopian tubal epithelial cells in culture lose morphological features associated with the epithelium in situ and the extent to which they retain their in-vivo phenotype or function is unknown. In order to address this question, immunocytochemical markers were identified which distinguish secretory (HMFG2+, LhS28-) from ciliated (HMFG2-, LhS28+) epithelial cells in tissue sections of Fallopian tube. These markers were used to analyse the phenotype of tubal cells in vitro. Primary cultures of human tubal epithelial cells were seeded onto glass and grown to confluence before addition of oestradiol-17beta. In the absence of hormone, tubal epithelial cells expressed cytokeratins and nuclear receptors for oestrogen and progesterone and adopted a homogeneous (HMFG2+, LhS28-) secretory cell phenotype. Following the addition of oestradiol-17beta, a proportion of cells became positive for LhS28. The induction of a ciliated epithelial cell phenotype was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy, where on permeable collagen membranes, approximately one-third of tubal epithelial cells became ciliated in the presence of oestradiol-17beta. We suggest that in vitro, tubal epithelial cells adopt an immature secretory-like phenotype and that oestrogen can induce differentiation to a ciliated epithelial cell phenotype.

A vascularly perfused preparation of the Fallopian tube has been developed as a model to study the formation and composition of human tubal fluid. An artery serving the tube was cannulated and perfused at a rate of 0.7 ml/min for 1 h with Medium 199 supplemented with bovine serum albumin, heparin and antibiotics. A cannula was also inserted into the lumen. Light and scanning electron micrographs of control and perfused tubes showed that the epithelial lining was intact after perfusion. Tubal fluid was collected in 13 out of 19 experiments. Fluid could always be collected from patients who were in the follicular phase of their ovarian cycle. The mean rate of appearance was 48 microliters/h. The glucose, lactate and pyruvate concentrations in the tubal fluid, as assessed by fluorescence microanalysis, were 0.53, 8.58 and 0.17 mM respectively. There were no correlations between metabolite concentration and the length of perfusion, cannulation time, patient's age or condition. This technique provides a controlled method with which to access and examine human tubal fluid and will allow the physiology of both healthy and diseased tubes to be studied.

A pure population of human Fallopian tubal epithelial cells has been isolated by enzyme digestion, grown in primary culture and used to explore the biochemical basis of oviduct fluid secretion. Confluence was achieved in 3-7 days. Immunocytochemical labelling for cytokeratins indicated that the cells were epithelial in nature and formed extensive desmosomal contacts, producing a polarized layer in culture. By growing the cells on collagen-impregnated filters, a small transepithelial electrical potential difference could be recorded, with the apical side of the cells negative with respect to the basal side. In addition, the consumption of glucose and the appearance of lactate were greater on the basal than on the apical side of the cells. Because intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) is well established as a signal transduction agent in epithelial fluid secretion, the effect of a wide range of agonists on [Ca2+]i in isolated tubal epithelial cells was studied using Fura-2. The only agent which induced a change in [Ca2+]i was extracellular ATP. The transients induced were dependent on both intracellular and extracellular calcium. ATP added to the basal side of the cells of the polarized layer induced a transient increase in the potential difference. The data are consistent with a potential role for extracellular ATP in the regulation of human tubal fluid formation.

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Background-The assessment of neoplastic disease in gynaecological histopathology can be complicated by the high incidence of metaplasia seen in tissues of the female genital tract. There is a need to identify specific tissue markers which can be applied in routine histopathological practice. Aim-To examine the clinical potential of a monoclonal antibody, LhS28, which reacts with basal bodies of ciliated epithelial cells. Methods-A panel of normal and pathological gynaecological tissues was processed and labelled with LhS28. Results-LhS28 immunoreactivity was found in the normal Fallopian tube where it was confined to ciliated rather than secretory epithelial cells. In the remaining specimens, LhS28 was associated exclusively with ciliated cells in tubal metaplasias of the cervix and endometrium and in benign serous lined inclusion cysts. Conclusions-LhS28 may be a valuable marker for identifying metaplasia of tubal type and may find application in distinguishing tubal metaplasia from low grade cervical glandular intraepithelial neoplasia. (J Clin Pathol 1999;52:355-357)