Experimental evidence for the bone marrow origin of granulated metrial gland cells of the mouse uterus

Abstract

The clear morphological differences between the granulated metrial gland (GMG) cells which develop in the uteri of rats and mice have been used to assess the origin of GMG cells in radiation chimaeras. Lethally irradiated mice were reconstituted with either rat or mouse bone marrow cells. Control mice were ovariectomised. A schedule of steroid injections was carried out allowing deciduoma formation to be induced in the irradiated and control animals. Deciduoma formation was impaired, and there were few GMG cells in the irradiated, bone marrow-reconstituted mice in comparison with the ovariectomised controls. However, it was possible to identify, by their distinctive morphology, 1) rat GMG cells in the mice reconstituted with rat bone marrow cells, and 2) mouse GMG cells in the mice reconstituted with mouse bone marrow cells. Conversely, no typical mouse or rat GMG cells were identified in mice reconstituted, respectively, with rat or mouse bone marrow cells. The observations indicate that GMG cells differentiate from a precursor derived from bone marrow.

High Dose IL‐2‐Activated Murine Natural Killer (A‐NK) Cells Accumulate Glycogen and Granules, Lose Cytotoxicity, and Alter Target Cell Interaction In Vitro

“…Thus, the cellular differentiation represented by our day 6-8 A-NK cells has a morphological counterpart in the granulated metrial gland cell [20][21][22]. The capacity to rapidly build up energy stores is further shared by other leucocytes exposed to an inflammatory stimulus.…”

“…Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the A-NK cells accumulate increasing amounts of multi-catalytic protease complex (proteasome) into enlarging cytoplasmic pools of an electron lucent material [19]. The resulting cell type resembled closely granulated metrial gland cells [20][21][22] and mucoid material secreting LAK cells [22,23]. In these cell types mucoid material was suggested to be stored in the cytoplasmic pools and to also contain sulphated proteoglycans (PG).…”

Nitric Oxide Synthase-2 and Expression of Perforin in Uterine NK Cells

“…Mouse uNK cells differentiate in situ from bone marrow-derived precursor cells (8). Following implantation, the cells increase dramatically in size and gradually develop prominent intracellular granules containing glycoconjugates and cytolytic molecules such as perforin, granzymes, TNF-␣, and IFN-␥ (4, 9, 10).…”

Appearance of Eosinophilic Granule Cells as Pathological Changes in the Uteri of Two Aged Virgin Donryu Rats

“…They have distinct characteristics, being large rounded or ovoid in shape and containing numerous acidophilic granules that are positive for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction (3)(4)(5), and are derived from precursor cells in the bone marrow (9).…”

“…In the pregnant rat, GMG cell progress in the pregnant stage has been reported to be controlled by gestational hormones (1). In addition, GMG cells are considered to originate from bone marrow and infiltrate to the uterus with differentiation of the decidual reaction (9).…”