Distribution of extracellular matrix molecules in human uterine tubes during the menstrual cycle: a histological and immunohistochemical analysis Godoy Guzmán, Carlos Ignacio Nuñez, Claudio Orihuela, Pedro Campos Muñoz, Antonio Jesús Carriel Araya, Víctor Collagens Extracelullar matrix Human uterine tubes Menstrual cycle Proteoglycans This study was supported by the Tissue Engineering Group (CTS-115) from the Department of Histology, University of Granada, Spain, and by the research Grant from DICYT no. 021501GG, Vicerrectoría de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación of Universidad de Santiago de Chile (USACH) Proyecto Basal FB0807. The authors thank Dr Larry Fisher from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA, for providing the rabbit anti-fibromodulin polyclonal (LF-150) antibody for this study. The authors are grateful to Dr. Ariane Ruyffelaert for her assistance with the English text. This work forms part of doctoral thesis of Carlos Godoy-Guzmán. The uterine tube (UT) is an important and complex organ of the women’s reproductive system. In general, the anatomy and basic histology of this organ are well-known. However, the composition and function of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the UT is still poorly understood. The ECM is a complex supramolecular material produced by cells which is commonly restricted to the basement membrane and interstitial spaces. ECM molecules play not only a structural role, they are also important for cell growth, survival and differentiation in all tissues. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the deposition and distribution of type I and III collagens and proteoglycans (decorin, biglycan, fibromodulin and versican) in human UT during the follicular and luteal phases by using histochemical and immunohistochemical techniques. Our results showed a broad synthesis of collagens (I and III) in the stroma of the UT. The analysis by regions showed, in the mucosa, a specific distribution of versican and fibromodulin in the epithelial surface, whereas decorin and fibromodulin were observed in the lamina propria. Versican and decorin were found in the stroma of the muscular layer, whereas all studied proteoglycans were identified in the serosa. Curiously, biglycan was restricted to the wall of the blood vessels of the serosa and muscular layers. Furthermore, there was an immunoreaction for collagens, decorin, versican and fibromodulin in the UT peripheral nerves. The differential distribution of these ECM molecules in the different layers of the UT could be related to specific structural and/or biomechanical functions needed for the oviductal transport, successful fertilization and early embryogenesis. However, further molecular studies under physiological and pathological conditions are still needed to elucidate the specific role of each molecule in the human UT. 2024-02-29T08:09:16Z 2024-02-29T08:09:16Z 2018 info:eu-repo/semantics/article Godoy-Guzmán C, Nuñez C, Orihuela P, Campos A, Carriel V. Distribution of extracellular matrix molecules in human uterine tubes during the menstrual cycle: a histological and immunohistochemical analysis. J Anat. 2018 Jul;233(1):73-85. doi: 10.1111/joa.12814 https://hdl.handle.net/10481/89663 10.1111/joa.12814 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internacional Wiley