Fig. 12

Immuno-localization of OCT-4 in uterine myometrium (M) and perimetrium (P) after treatment with estradiol. With the help of OCT-4 antibody that detects both nuclear and cytoplasmic OCT-4, this figure provides evidence suggestive of pluripotent VSELs differentiate into both endothelial and myometrial cells. a At low magnification, OCT-4 expression was noted in cells in the perimetrium, myometrium, coelomic epithelium as well as in the cells lining the blood vessels (asterix). b Similar distinct pattern of OCT-4 expression including nuclear OCT-4 positive cells in the coelomic epithelium and perimetrium and cytoplasmic OCT-4 in the myometrium was clearly visualized after estradiol treatment. c This representative field is suggestive of how nuclear OCT-4 positive cells in the coelomic epithelium/perimetrium differentiate into cells with cytoplasmic OCT-4 that migrate downwards and align as the myometrial cells. Nuclear OCT-4 positive stem cells also differentiate into endothelial cells lining the blood vessels that appear after treatment compared to atrophied uterus (Fig. 1). d High magnification of a blood vessel in section with small spherical VSELs expressing nuclear OCT-4 in the lumen. Note that the endothelial cells express cytoplasmic OCT-4. (e and g) Higher magnification showing small, spherical cells with minimal cytoplasm expressing nuclear OCT-4. f High magnification showing coelomic epithelial cells lining the perimetrium expressing nuclear OCT-4 positive cells. Scale bar represents 20 μm