The structure of tight junctions between uterine luminal epithelial cells at different stages of pregnancy in the rat

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Abstract
The ultrastructure of tight junctions between uterine luminal epithelial cells of the pregnant rat was studied by the freeze-fracture technique. On day 5 of pregnancy, the day of implantation, the region of tight junctions extended three times as far down the lateral cell membrane as on day 1 of pregnancy, and the strands of the complex interlinked more frequently. These observations suggest that tight junctions on day 5 may be more efficient in preserving the contents of the uterine lumen from dilution or escape than at earlier times of pregnancy.