The oviduct is an important organ for successful mammalian reproduction. In this work, human oviducts were inseminated and their explants analyzed using scanning electron microscopy in order to study, at a finer ultrastructual level, the interaction between spermatozoon and oviduct in vitro. Results show unequivocally a spermatozoon tightly attached through the acrosomal region of its head to several cilia of the human tubal epithelial cells. This finding proves that spermatozoa do indeed adhere to the endosalpinx, a fact of utmost relevance for the physiology of the reproductive process, since it supports the idea of a spermatozoa reservoir being formed in the oviduct, which is also briefly discussed.
spermatozoa oviductal cell interaction scanning electron microscopy, human oviduct sperm reservoir formation in vitro, sperm adhesion endosalpinx tubal epithelial cells, Vigil spermatozoon oviduct ultrastructure cilia attachment, acrosomal region sperm head ciliated epithelium binding, human fallopian tube sperm interaction ultrastructural analysis, oviductal sperm reservoir reproductive physiology, spermatozoa tubal epithelium adhesion electron microscopy, sperm capacitation oviduct interaction in vitro insemination, human reproduction oviduct explant sperm binding mechanism
PMID 22355149 22355149 DOI 10.1093/jmicro/dfs002 10.1093/jmicro/dfs002
Cite this article
Vigil, P., Salgado, A. M., & Cortés, M. E. (2012). Ultrastructural interaction between spermatozoon and human oviductal cells in vitro. Journal of electron microscopy, 61(2), 123-126. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmicro/dfs002
Vigil P, Salgado AM, Cortés ME. Ultrastructural interaction between spermatozoon and human oviductal cells in vitro. J Electron Microsc (Tokyo). 2012;61(2):123-126. doi:10.1093/jmicro/dfs002
Vigil, P., et al. "Ultrastructural interaction between spermatozoon and human oviductal cells in vitro." Journal of electron microscopy, vol. 61, no. 2, 2012, pp. 123-126.
Two types of cervical mucus are recognized, oestrogenic and gestagenic. These are constituted by different subtypes, and their characteristics change depending on variations in the hormonal levels and on the existence of several pathologies. Our aim was to identify the ultrastructure and crystallization characteristics of the cervical mucus in women suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome, and to compare these characteristics with those of normal control women. Cervical mucus samples were taken from 10 women, 4 control group women (with normal ovulatory menstrual cycles) and 6 suffering from polycystic ovary syndrome (2 with ovulatory and 4 with anovulatory cycles). This mucus was characterized according to its ultrastructure and crystallization. The type of mucus obtained was related to the levels of oestradiol and progesterone present when the samples were taken. As regards mucus ultrastructure, differences were found between the control women and those with polycystic ovary syndrome and anovulatory menstrual cycles. Such variations were evident in the type of mesh and the average diameter of the mucus pores. Mucus crystallization in control women showed the fern-like (L, P2), rectilinear (S) or a hexagonal structure (P6). On the other hand, in women with polycystic ovary syndrome, indefinite mucus crystallizations were found, as well as crystallization patches resembling oestrogenic and gestagenic-like mucus. This study shows that the ultrastructure and crystallization characteristics of the cervical mucus in polycystic ovary syndrome women are different from those of control women. The latter would be dependent on their levels of oestradiol and progesterone.
Menstrual CycleUltrastructureScanning Electron MicroscopyCervical Mucus Patterns
Two main types of cervical mucus have been described oestrogenic and progestative. Each category shows diverse morphological and functional features from the reproductive point of view. Traditionally, this change has been approached by analysing morphological patterns. In fact, a mesh model has been described for cervical mucus, structurally composed of fibrillar subunits with a parallel orientation, together with another model in a characteristic network shape with canalicular units, but the real model is not clear. The objective of our work was to study the different morphological structures of the mucus, as related to the day of follicular rupture (considered as day 0) determined by ultrasound. Cervical mucus samples were obtained from the cervical canal with an ASPIRETTEtrade mark from day -4 to day +1 of the menstrual cycle. Samples were fixed and dried by critical point. The ultrastructure was examined with scanning electron microscopy. The presence of three types of oestrogenic and one type of progestative cervical mucus was confirmed in this period. Our paper shows different types of ultrastructure in the oestrogenic mucus in relation to ovulation, which would help to understand the interaction between male gametes and cervical mucus in migration through the female genital tract.