With the widespread use of in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer, the oviduct continues to play an important role in successful pregnancy. While the exact effects of the oviduct on the reproductive process remain unclear, steroid hormones, especially estrogens, have been demonstrated in vivo to induce and maintain the maturation and secretory activities of oviduct epithelial cells. However, it has usually been difficult to observe the effects of estrogens on the oviduct epithelial cells in experimental systems, because the addition of estrogens to the culture medium containing serum usually induced the proliferation only of stromal cells but not of epithelial cells. In this study a part of human oviduct new culture model has been applied to epithelial cells obtaind from ampulla and the established cells cultured have been studied immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally as well.
After 3 weeks of culture in serum-free medium, most of the cells revealed positive reaction in keratine and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) stainings, and negative in vimentin. However, the cells cultured in the medium containing serum or calcium were exclusively positive in vimentin reaction.
Oviduct epithelial cells are composed mainly of secretory and ciliated cells. The epithelial cells cultured on a collagen gel base with serum-free medium showed ultrastructural characteristics similar to those of secretory cells of the oviduct epithelium, and the cells in the over layered medium contained ciliated cells.
Both of ciliated and secretory cells cultured in the floating collagen with serum-free medium proliferated in the similar way of cellular arrangement as in oviducts epithelium on the floating collagen gel.
Estrogen and progesterone receptors were immunohistochemically observed in the epithelium of oviduct as well as in cultured epithelial cells were also.
With the use of estrogen in the serum-free medium, the cultured epithelial cells showed a marked increase of cytoplasmic organella and the surface protrusions suggesting apocrine secretion were frequently obserbed.
However, proliferation of cultured cells was not accelerated by the addition of estrogen (E₁, E₂ or E₃) or progesterone to the medium. [Adv Obster Gynecol 47(2) : 261-276, 1995 (H7.3)]

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The ultrastructure and prolactin production of the decidua parietalis, basalis, and capsularis at 6, 10, and 14 weeks of normal pregnancy were studied. Using five ultrastructural characters, the decidual cells were classified into three types. Type I cell had few organelles and resembled fibroblast. Type II cell possessed many organelles and produced osmiophilic substance in rough endoplasmic reticulum. Type III cell showed typical peduncular processes, usually contained secretary granules. The prolactin concentrations in the medium of the organ culture for 48 hours were determined by radioimmunoassay.
In the decidua capsularis, Type III cells were the most in number at 6 weeks of gestation and the cytoplasmic organella of those were the most abundant at 10 weeks of gestation. By 14 weeks of gestation, the ultrastructural evidence of cellular activity began to decline. The proportin of Type III cells in the decidua parietalis had a tendency to increase as the gestational age progressed. In all weeks of gestations, Type I cells were observed more frequently in the decidua basalis than other portions, and the stromal cells seemed to maturate slowly on that portion.
The decidua parietalis released large amounts of prolactin compared with other portions of decidua (p < 0.05). The amount of prolactin synthesis was related to the distribution of Type I, II, and III cells. These results suggest that the decidua of each portion in the uterus during early gestation has different ratios of the 3 cell types and that the decidua parietalis could be a main source of amniotic fluid prolactin. [Adv Obster Gynecol 47(2) : 277-286, 1995 (H7.3)]

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It has been suggested that human decidua synthesizes and secretes prolactin (PRL). In this study, the regulation of the production of decidual PRL and the ultrastructural localization of PRL in the human decidua were investigated. The concentration of PRL in a medium of decidua and chorion was significantly less than that in a medium of decidua alone in organ culture. hCG, prostaglandins and progesterone did not affect the production of decidual PRL. However, significantly lower concentrations of decidual PRL were observed when decidua was incubated in a medium with estradiol in the organ culture. The concentration of PRL in a cultured medium of the cells separated at 1.04 density from the decidual tissue was high and increased progressively over 6 days.
However, no significantly lower concentration of PRL was observed when the separated PRL producing cells were incubated with estradiol. Immunoelectronmicroscopic observations revealed that immunoreactive gold particles were located specifically on the intracytoplasmic small granules of decidual cells of 5 weeks of gestation. [Adv Obster Gynecol 47(2) : 287-299, 1995 (H7.3)]

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Environmental substances, such as nicotine, cotinine (a metabolite of nicotine), alcohol, caffeine etc., have some favorable or unfavorable effects on physical health. In this study, the effects of these environmental substances on the genital organs of the female rats were morphologically and endocrinologically investigated.
Fifty four mature female Wistar rats, with regular estrus cycles, were divided into the 9 groups. That is, a control group (C), a nicotine 1μg group (N1), a nicotine 10/./g group (N10), a nicotine 20, μg group (N20), a cotinine 10μg group (Co), a caffeine 1mg group (Ca), a saline solution group (S), a Coca-Cola free drinking group (Coke), and an alcohol 1ml group (AL). These chemicals were administered daily in 0.1ml of saline solution intraabdominally, though 1ml of alcohol was orally given daily and Coca-Cola was ingested ad libitum.
These substances were administered for 20-24 weeks. And estradiol (E₂) and prolactin (PRL) concentration in the blood sera were estimated by radioimmunoassay on the first day of estrus after 2 weeks of drug administration, and the day after 20-24 weeks of drug administration.
Endometrium, subsequently obtained from each rat, was fixed, post-fixed, dehydrated, embedded and observed by electron microscopes (H-500 and H-600). The sexual cycles were initially irregular and finally entered constant estrus. (This phenomenon was fastest observed in the N10 group.)
There was no significant differences in PRL levels between the experimental groups and the control group.
E₂ concentrations, however, increased in the nicotine groups after 2-4 weeks, and then tended to decrease after 24 weeks. Ultrastructural observation after 2 weeks revealed that the endometrium retained active secretory features. After 20-24 weeks, however, the endometrium became atrophic. The endometrium in the other experimental groups did not become atrophic.
The effects of nicotine on the anterior pituitary hormone were also examinied.
Twenty mature female rats with regular estrus cycles were divided into 4 groups according to the substance administered a control group (C), a nicotine 10μg group (N'10), a nicotine 100μg group (N'100), a nicotine 1000μg group (N'1000). Nicotine at the 3 different concentrations, was administered intraabdominally at 13 : 30 on proestrus day. The blood sera were examined at 14 : 00, 17 : 00, and 20 : 00 to estimate follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentration by RIA. FSH levels did not vary significantly LH levels increased significantly in the 10μg nicotine group at 17 : 00 (p< 0.05), but decreased in the 100μg and 1000μg nicotine groups at 17 : 00 (p <0.01). Nicotine stimulated the function of the ovary and the uterus, when it was administered for short periods. When it was administered for long periods, however, it caused low sexual function. These facts were corroborated by the evidence of diminished estradiol levels and the atrophic condition of the ovaries and the endometrium. Caffeine and Coca-Cola had little influence on sexual function, if they were consumed in limited amounts during daily use.Alcohol had some influence, acting on the reproductive organs to prolong the estrus cycle, and to atrophy the endometrium. [Adv Obster Gynecol 47(2) : 300-315, 1995 (H7.3)]

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β- endorphin (β-Ep) and prolactin (PRL) levels in the sera of 22 normal puerperal lactating women were measured before and 30 min, 60 min and 120 min after suckling.
β-Ep was extracted using the silicic acid method. In 17 cases, β-Ep was measured using the direct RIA method (Anti-β-Ep serum : SRL Inc.). In 5 cases, the specimens were chromatographed and measured using a β-endorphin [¹²⁵I] RIA Kit (NEN).
PRL levels were measured using a prolactin RIA Kit (Daiichi).
In the non-chromatographed group, β-Ep concentrations before and at 30 min, 60 min and 120 min after suckling were 18.8± 6.0, 21.7±7.2, 21.3±8.6 and 13.7±4.5pg/ml (mean±SD), respectively. β-Ep concentrations after suckling were slightly higher than that before suckling.
In the chromatographed group, β-Ep concentrations were 85.4±16.6, 92.1±14.2 and 95.3±25.6pg/ml (mean±SD) before, and at 30 min and 60 min after suckling, respectively.
The difference in the β-Ep concentrations determined by the two methods might be related to low sensitivity of the direct RIA method, though its specificity is very high. However, in the both groups, the β-Ep response patterns before and after suckling were similar.
The PRL concentration was 203.7±141.9 before suckling. The level increasd to 360.1±248.7 at 30 min, 251.4±133.4 at 60 min and 260.7±55.9ng/ml (mean±SD) at 120 min after suckling (p<0.05).
These results suggest that suckling stimulates β-Ep and PRL release possibly from the pituitary gland. However, there was no significant correlation between β-Ep and PRL concentrations. [Adv Obster Gynecol 47(2) : 316-324, 1995 (H7.3)]

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