Localisation of immunoglobulin (IgG) within the rat metrial gland.

An immunohistological method was used to assess the IgG content of the rat metrial gland at different stages of pregnancy. The result apparently varied according to the type of fixative used. Saturated alcoholic mercuric chloride was found to produce the most consistent demonstration, with the IgG located in cells which also contained diastase-fast, PAS-positive granules. Using single cell suspensions prepared from metrial glands, significantly more cells were shown to contain cytoplasmic IgG at day 13, compared to day 14 of pregnancy. However, there were no other significant differences at other stages of pregnancy examined. Surface IgG was detected on a small proportion of the cells and the findings are discussed in relation to the hypothesis of a lymphocytic origin for the granulated metrial gland cells.