Twenty
lectins with different
carbohydrate affinities, including five new
lectins purified from fungi,were used for histochemical examination of
carbohydrate determinants in rat ovaries and endometrium under experimental hyper- and
hypothyroidism. In the ovaries of control rats,
lectin binding was detected predominantly in the zona pellucida and corona radiata of growing follicles, luteocytes, and leucocytes. Within the endometrium,
lectins reacted strongly with the
luminal surface, epitheliocytes and secretions of the uterine glands,pre-decidual cells, leucocytes, and
collagen fibers. As revealed on general morphology and estrous cycle studies,
hyperthyroidism induced ovarian luteinization, and increased the content of pre-decidual cells and of
collagen fibers in the endometrium, with no reliable effect on the estrous cycle.
Hypothyroidism was accompanied by retardation of the estrous cycle, enhanced folliculogenesis and leucocyte infiltration of ovarian and endometrial stroma. Both hyper- and
hypothyroidism significantly affected the tissue
carbohydrates of the ovaries and endometrium:specific and differential redistribution of
DMan, LFuc, NeuNAc, DGlcNAc, DGalNAc, and DGal determinants was detected under both pathological conditions.
Hyperthyroidism induced more severe alterations of
glycoconjugates than
hypothyroidism; the endometrium was more susceptible to
thyroxin-modulated impairments than the ovaries. These results give new insights into the pathogenetic mechanisms of the effects of thyroid disorders on the female reproductive organs and demonstrate the suitability of
lectin histochemistry methods for monitoring the efficacy of hormonal imbalance correction
therapy, as well as the applicability of new
lectin preparations for the selective labeling of ovarian and endometrial constituents.