Effect of hormonal superovulation on the lectin binding pattern of the ovine oviduct

The oviduct plays an essential role in the mammalian reproduction and it undergoes significant endocrine-induced morphological, biochemical and physiological changes during the oestrous cycle. The functions of the oviduct epithelium are controlled by the ovarian steroids, oestrogen and progesterone1. In this study the glycoconjugate pattern of oviduct obtained from hormonally (FSH-P and eCG) superovulated ewes for oocytes recoverywas analyzed. Oviducts from treated and control sheep were collected by laparatomy, fixed in 4% (w/v) neutral formalin, embedded in paraffin wax and sections processed for lectin histochemistry. In the ampulla, the luminal surface of all specimens showed strong reactivity with MAL II,SNA, PNA after KOH-sialidase (s) treatment, RCA120, HPA, SBA, KOH-s-WGA, and GSA I-B4, whereas it stained strongly with GSA II, UEA I, and LTA in treated sheep which showed reactivity with KOH-s-PNA, SBA, GSA I-B4, GSA II also in the apical cytoplasm of non-ciliated cells. In the isthmus, the luminal surface showed same staining reactivity with RCA120, SBA, and GSA I-B4 in all specimens, and a stronger affinity for MAL II, UEA I and LTA in treated ones. A distinctive feature of hormonized isthmus was the binding of the entire cytoplasm of ciliated cells and non-ciliated cells with MAL II, SNA, RCA120, SBA, GSA II, UEA I, and LTA. These results indicate that ampulla and isthmus of ovine oviduct express a different glycoconjugate pattern and that the hormone administration for superovulation produces different effect along the oviduct. These differences could be related to the different functions of each segment that constitutes the ovine oviduct. 1. Buhi WC Reproduction 2002, 123:355-62.