Immunohistochemical identification of epithelial cell types in the isthmus of bovine oviduct: Comparison with the ampulla

The oviductal epithelium consists of ciliated and non-ciliated cells, and their numbers vary depending on the segment of the oviduct and stage of the estrous cycle. Compared with the ampulla, fewer cyclic changes in the number of the two types of cells occur in the isthmus. Recently, we have reported that the epithelium in the ampullary oviduct is composed of many types of cells during different translational/transcriptional states, and their numbers change during the estrous cycle. However, detailed information regarding the epithelial cell subtypes lining the isthmic oviductal epithelium has not yet been reported. In this study, we aimed to identify the epithelial subtypes in the isthmus of the oviduct using immunohistochemistry. Some similarities and differences were observed between the ampulla and isthmus. As observed in the ampulla, epithelial cells of the isthmus expressed either FOXJ1 (ciliogenesis marker) or PAX8 (non-ciliated cell marker). The estrous cycle affected the number of Ki67+ cells but not that of ciliated cells. A relatively high rate of Ki67+ cells (60%) was observed at 1–4 days after the ovulation. Interestingly, unlike the ampulla, Ki67+/FOXJ1+ cells (12.6 ± 1.1%) were discovered in the isthmus. Double staining for Ki67 with FOXJ1, PAX8, or Centrin-1 (a centriole marker) revealed that Centrin-1 was localized on the apical surface of some Ki67+/FOXJ1+ cells. In conclusion, some epithelial cell subtypes exist in the isthmus of the oviduct and isthmus-specific cell subtypes have been identified. These region-specific cells may provide functional and morphological differences between the ampulla and isthmus of the oviduct.