Autoradiographic (35s) and Histochemical Studies of Sulphomucopolysaccharides in the Rabbit Uterus, Oviducts and Vagina

It has previously been demonstrated that the endometrial stroma contains substances which, following adequate fixation, stain metachromatically with certain basic dyes, e. g. toluidine blue. Moreover, it has been shown that the content of these substances varies with the menstrual cycle (Bartelmez & Bensley, 1932, Bensley, 1943, Sylvén, 1945, McKay, 1950, and Wislocki, Bunting & Dempsey, 1952). This metachromatic material incorporates radioactive sulphate administered systemically (Boström & Odeblad, 1952). As demonstrated by Boström & Gardell (1953) and Boström & Åquist (1953) labelled sulphate is incorporated predominantly into tissue sulphomucopolysaccharides. In the present study, the endometrium of the body of the rabbit uterus was investigated autoradiographically with 35S labelled sodium sulphate and also histochemically with regard to possible variations in the sulphomucopolysaccharide content at the time of ovulation and under various hormonal influences. At the same time, the cervix, oviducts, and vagina were studied in the same way.