Biochemical evidence for programmed cell death in rabbit uterine epithelium.

Uterine epithelial cell proliferation, differentiation, and death are known to be regulated by estrogen and progesterone. The authors investigated a specific pattern of cell death called apoptosis, or programmed cell death, which is biochemically characterized by a specific pattern of DNA degradation. DNA isolated from endometrium of ovariectomized pseudopregnant rabbits showed a pattern of DNA cleavage at internucleosomal locations. In comparison, DNA from the endometrium of non-ovariectomized animals, as well as several other organs, did not exhibit that pattern. This biochemical evidence supports previous and present morphologic data and correlates with it. Under the experimental conditions used, only the uterine epithelial compartment of the endometrium shows apoptotic cell death, which is absent in the stromal compartment.