Fig. 13

Schematic depicting stem cell biology in uterine myometrium and perimetrium based on our results shown in Figs. 10–12. Brown color depicts OCT-4 immuno-expression. Blue color nuclei depict Hematoxylin counterstained nuclei with absent nuclear OCT-4 expression. Cells lining the surface and in perimetrium express nuclear OCT-4. They are interspersed by small size cells which also express nuclear OCT-4. From the base of the perimetrium, spindle shaped mesenchymal cells emerge which express cytoplasmic OCT-4 (suggestive of differentiation of nuclear OCT-4 positive cells). They migrate downwards and align as myometrium. Few cells with absent OCT-4 expression possibly represent more differentiated state. This stem cells activity in the uterine myometrium and perimetrium became evident only as a result of treatment with higher dose of E, P or FSH to bilaterally ovariectomized mice. Otherwise under normal conditions, these stem cells act in a very subtle manner and have remained elusive so far in the published literature