Research

Expression of Müllerian Inhibiting Substance (MIS) and its receptor in female genital tract

Ham Bak Lee, Yoon Ji Jung, Min Jung Kim, Hyun Hee Cho, Mee Ran Kim, Eun Jung Kim and Jang Heub Kim
World Journal of Pathology 2013, 2:3

Abstract

Objective

Müllerian inhibiting Substance (MIS), also known as anti Müllerian hormone (AMH), is produced from Sertoli cells of fetal testis and it causes regression of Müllerian ducts. MIS is known to act as a regulator of female reproductive function but also inhibits the growth of Müllerian duct-derived tumors in vivo and in vitro. But the physiologic role of MIS in female genital tract is not known clearly. Therefore, this study is aimed to confirm the expression of MIS and MISRII in female genital tract.

Material and Methods

We gathered the tissues of female genital tract from the patients, who had the hysterectomy for benign uterine diseases like myoma uteri or adenomyosis. We divided the patients into follicular phase and luteal phase by menstrual cycle. We had undergone our experiment by using tissues from the ovary, uterine cervix, uterine endometrium, uterine myometrium and tube for each patient. We performed immune histochemistry and RT-PCR to confirm MIS and MISRII in each tissues of female genital tract.

Results

MIS was only expressed in ovarian tissue among the tissues of female genital tract. And MISRII was expressed in the entire female genital tract. But MISRII's expression intensity was different relatively. MISRII was very strongly expressed in ovary, and moderately expressed in uterine cervix, uterine endometrium, and fallopian tube. But MISRII was only mildly expressed in uterine myometrium with RT-PCR.

Conclusion

Finally we found that MIS is expressed only in ovary of female genital tract. And MISRII is presented on the entire female genital tract but the expression intensity was different relatively. These results suggest that MIS may have the function of biological modifier or inhibitor on female genital organ development and maturation. We could use this study for basic useful research to understand the physiology of MIS.

Key words

Müllerian inhibiting substance; MIS type II receptor; Immunohistochemistry; RT-PCR; in situ hybridization.

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