PERMEABILITY AND CHANGES IN CARBOHYDRATE MOIETY IN RAT ENDOMETRIAL EPITHELIUM DURING ESTROUS CYCLE AS REVEALED BY RUTHENIUM RED

The polycationic stain ruthenium red (RuR) was used with the double purpose of (a) studying the permeability changes in the rat uterine epithelial cells during the estrous cycle and (b) determining different groups of carbohydrates. Four different tests (RuR-lumen; RuR-Glu; Glu/CB-RuR and RuR-OsO4) were carried out. The best results were obtained with the RuR-OsO4 test, which was used for statistical analysis of the diffusion capacity of the stain across the plasma membrane. The content in different carbohydrate groups was studied with RuR and other cytochemical techniques (Fe-dialized, HID, PA-TCH-SP) in the cellular coat and their variations during the estrous cycle. Our results suggest that cellular permeability depends on the hormonal regime. The impermeable uterine epithelial cells stain by RuR in the proestrus stage change to semipermeable during the estrus stage and to permeable during the metestrus and diestrus stages. The quantity of sulphate group-bearing glycoconjugates on the surface of uterine epithelial cells increases during the proestrus and estrus stages, whereas it decreases in the metestrus stage. The neutral glycoconjugates apparently remain constant.