Apoptotic pathways in ovarian surface epithelium of human embryos during embryogenesis and carcinogenesis: Close relationship of developmental plasticity and neoplasm

Cell differentiation and different pathways of cell death were immunohistochemically analyzed in ovaries of six human embryos, 20 serous borderline tumors (SBT) and ovarian serous carcinomas (OSC) using markers for apoptosis (caspase-3, AIF, TUNEL) and stemness (Oct-4). In the 5–8-week ovaries, casp...

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Published in:Acta histochemica 2014-03, Vol.116 (2), p.304-311
Main Authors: Caric, Ana, Poljicanin, Ana, Tomic, Snjezana, Vilovic, Katarina, Saraga-Babic, Mirna, Vukojevic, Katarina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Aged
AIF
Apoptosis
Apoptosis - physiology
Carcinogenesis - pathology
Caspase 3 - metabolism
Caspase-3
Embryo, Mammalian - physiology
Embryonic Development - physiology
Epithelium - physiology
Epithelium - physiopathology
Female
Fluorescent Antibody Technique
Human embryo
Humans
Middle Aged
Oct-4
Ovarian carcinomas
Ovarian Neoplasms - physiopathology
Ovary - pathology
Ovary - physiology
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Summary:Cell differentiation and different pathways of cell death were immunohistochemically analyzed in ovaries of six human embryos, 20 serous borderline tumors (SBT) and ovarian serous carcinomas (OSC) using markers for apoptosis (caspase-3, AIF, TUNEL) and stemness (Oct-4). In the 5–8-week ovaries, caspase-3 was absent in the ovarian surface epithelium (ose) and mildly positive in the ovarian stroma (os), AIF was expressed moderately, while Oct-4 expression gradually decreased during that period. Some ovarian cells expressed only caspase-3 or AIF together with TUNEL, while both caspase-3 and AIF were co-expressed in other ovarian cells. Mild expression of Oct-4 and caspase-3 characterized some cells of SBT, while their expression varied from mild to strong in OSC. AIF displayed mild to strong expression in ose of SBT and moderate to strong expression in OSC, while no expression of AIF was observed in os of both tumors. In the ose of both SBT and OSC, caspase-3 and AIF were co-expressed only occasionally, while AIF and Oct-4 were co-expressed strongly. Our study showed the presence of stemness cells and different pathways of cell death (caspase-3 and AIF-mediated) in the ovarian tissue during development and carcinogenesis, indicating the correlation between developmental plasticity in human embryonic ovaries and OSC.
ISSN:0065-1281
1618-0372
DOI:10.1016/j.acthis.2013.08.005