Endocytosis at the basal and lateral membranes of rat uterine epithelial cells during early pregnancy
- 1 September 1980
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Bioscientifica in Reproduction
- Vol. 60 (1) , 95-99
- https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0600095
Abstract
By 20 min after i.v. injection of horseradish peroxidase on day 5 of pregnancy, the tracer was present between the lateral epithelial cell membranes, in coated and non-coated invaginations in the lateral and basal epithelial cell membranes and in pinocytotic vesicles at the periphery of epithelial cells. By 60 min after injection, the tracer was distributed in vesicles throughout the epithelial cell cytoplasm. By 2 h, the tracer was present only in a few vesicles in the apical region of epithelial cells, and some of these vesicles appeared to be fusing with the apical cell membrane. Pinocytotic invaginations in the uterine epithelial cell basal membrane were 4- to 5-fold more numerous on day 5 of pregnancy than on days 1-4 and 7, suggesting a specific role for this activity during early pregnancy. Evidently, uterine epithelial cells can pinocytose substances derived from blood, transport them to the apical cytoplasm and possibly release them into the uterine lumen by exocytosis.This publication has 1 reference indexed in Scilit:
- Membrane Receptors in the Specific Transfer of Immunoglobulins from Mother to YoungImmunological Communications, 1976