Fig. 8

Morphological changes (white arrows) in the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE). Round cells with diameters of 10–15 μm were separating from OSE (a-c). Epithelial cells were dividing and some green stained SSEA-4-positive round cells (e, white arrow) with large blue nuclei after DAPI staining (f, white arrows) were separating from the ovarian surface epithelium (d–f, white arrows). Separated round cells with large blue nuclei after DAPI staining (i) were forming cell clusters (g–i, circled) expressing SSEA-4 (h). Atrophic (autofluorescent) erythrocytes (red arrows) were found in the vicinity (d, e). A similar population of round cells separated from the ovarian surface epithelium (k, white arrow), which form cell clusters (k, circled) with large blue nuclei after DAPI staining (l), expressing SOX2 marker of pluripotency (k), was also observed. Atrophic (autofluorescent) erythrocytes (red arrows) are found in the vicinity (j). (Light microscope: a-c, magnification 400x; fluorescence microscope: d–l, magnifications 400x and 1000x). Legend: green-SSEA4-positivity, red-SOX2-positivity, and blue-nuclei stained by DAPI. Red Bar: 100 μm