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Human Reproduction, Vol. 17, No. 8, 1980-1986, August 2002
© 2002 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Human uterodomes (pinopods) do not display pinocytotic function

S.M. Adams1,4, N. Gayer2, M.J. Hosie3 and C.R. Murphy1

1 Departments of Anatomy & Histology and 2 Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia and 3 School of Anatomical Sciences, The University of the Witwatersrand Medical School, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa

BACKGROUND: The term ‘pinopod’ or ‘pinopode’ has been used indiscriminately since the 1970s to describe most apical structures on uterine epithelial cells and as such suggests a cross species structural functionality. This study looks at the apical cellular protrusions in rats and humans and compares their pinocytotic ability. METHODS: We have utilized standard tracer techniques in an attempt to determine the functionality of the uterine surface protrusions in the human based on results reported in rats. RESULTS: Pinopods in rat tissue demonstrated tracer uptake, but no tracer uptake in the apical protrusions of human uterine epithelium was evident. CONCLUSIONS: These findings indicate that the uterine surface protrusions observed in the human are not pinocytotic and therefore probably perform a function different from similar structures observed in rats and mice. This highlights the need to alter nomenclature from pinopods to uterodomes.

Key words: colloidal gold/human/pinocytosis/pinopods/rats

4 E-mail: susan{at}anatomy.usyd.edu.au


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