Ultrastructure and composition of Call-Exner bodies in bovine follicles

Call-Exner bodies are present in ovarian follicles of a range of species including human and rabbit, and in a range of human ovarian tumors. We have also found structures resembling Call-Exner bodies in bovine preantral and small antral follicles. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of single sections of...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cell and tissue research 1999-05, Vol.296 (2), p.385-394
Main Authors: van Wezel, I L, Irving-Rodgers, H F, Sado, Y, Ninomiya, Y, Rodgers, R J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Cattle
Collagen - analysis
Female
Granulosa Cells - cytology
Granulosa Cells - ultrastructure
Humans
Laminin - analysis
Microscopy, Electron
Ovarian Follicle - cytology
Ovarian Follicle - ultrastructure
Ovarian Neoplasms - pathology
Rabbits
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Call-Exner bodies are present in ovarian follicles of a range of species including human and rabbit, and in a range of human ovarian tumors. We have also found structures resembling Call-Exner bodies in bovine preantral and small antral follicles. Hematoxylin and eosin staining of single sections of bovine ovaries has shown that 30% of preantral follicles with more than one layer of granulosa cells and 45% of small (less than 650 microns) antral follicles have at least one Call-Exner body composed of a spherical eosinophilic region surrounded by a rosette of granulosa cells. Alcian blue stains the spherical eosinophilic region of the Call-Exner bodies. Electron microscopy has demonstrated that some Call-Exner bodies contain large aggregates of convoluted basal lamina, whereas others also contain regions of unassembled basal-lamina-like material. Individual chains of the basal lamina components type IV collagen (alpha 1 to alpha 5) and laminin (alpha 1, beta 2 and delta 1) have been immunolocalized to Call-Exner bodies in sections of fresh-frozen ovaries. Bovine Call-Exner bodies are presumably analogous to Call-Exner bodies in other species but are predominantly found in preantral and small antral follicles, rather than large antral follicles. With follicular development, the basal laminae of Call-Exner bodies change in their apparent ratio of type IV collagen to laminin, similar to changes observed in the follicular basal lamina, suggesting that these structures have a common cellular origin.
ISSN:0302-766X
1432-0878
DOI:10.1007/s004410051298