Oviductal Telocytes in Patients with Uterine Myoma

Abstract

Tubal factor infertility occurs in 30–35% of infertile pairs and may be caused by impaired muscular contractility and ciliary beating as well as immunological imbalance and chronic inflammation. Newly discovered telocytes (TCs) have a wide palette of features, which play a role in oviduct physiology. We have observed tissue samples from human fallopian tubes in patients with and without uterine myoma by immunolabelling. According to the immunohistochemical co-expression of markers, it has been determined that TCs are engaged in a wide range of physiological processes, including local innervation, sensitivity to hypoxia, regulation of calcium, and sex steroid hormones balances. Due to the proximity of NOS- and ChAT-positive nerve fibers and the expression of ion channels markers, tubal TCs might be considered conductor cells. Additionally, their integration in contractions and cilia physiology in the context of fertility has been revealed. We have observed the difference in telocytes expression in the human oviduct between groups of patients and attempted to describe this population of cells specifically in the case of infertility development, a clinically relevant avenue for further studies.

Scleroderma-like Impairment in the Network of Telocytes/CD34+ Stromal Cells in the Experimental Mouse Model of Bleomycin-Induced Dermal Fibrosis

“…Although currently anomalies in TCs/CD34 + stromal cells have been detected in a number of human pathological tissues, much work has yet to be done to clarify their functional implications [14,23,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. For instance, preclinical animal models reproducing tissue alterations of TCs/CD34 + stromal cells, much like those found in human diseases, may clearly represent an invaluable tool for elucidating the effective contribution of these cells to disease pathogenesis and/or pathophysiology, which could often only be supposed [25].…”

Telocytes in the Female Reproductive System: Up-to-Date Knowledge, Challenges and Possible Clinical Applications

“…A completely unique and previously unrecognized finding was that the number of tubal TCs in patients with uterine fibroids increased, possibly as a compensatory mechanism. Unfortunately, a more detailed explanation of this phenomenon was not provided [57]. An entirely new 2022 study on tubal TCs came up with another discovery, unlike any other to this date.…”

Telocytes and Their Structural Relationships With the Sperm Storage Tube and Surrounding Cell Types in the Utero-Vaginal Junction of the Chicken

“…Tubal TCs also produce slow waves in the smooth muscle of the oviduct and are considered pacemaker cells of the oviduct ( 40 , 41 , 47 ). TCs express estrogen and progesterone receptors in the human myometrium and act as estrogen sensors to participate in myometrial contraction and movement of substances in the oviduct through gap junction or paracrine mechanisms ( 47 , 48 ). These results provide morphological evidence for the role of TCs in the contractive motion of smooth muscle at the uterine-vaginal junction and in promoting the transport of sperm and ovum.…”