Luteotrophic Action of Decidual Tissue in the Rat: Comparison of Jugular and Uterine Vein Progesterone Levels, and the Effect of Ligation of the Utero-Ovarian Connections1

Abstract

Earlier reports indicating the presence of significant amounts of ribonucleic acid in the chromatoid body of mammals were based on evidence obtained by using ribonuclease digestion and preferential stains on sections subsequently examined with the light microscope. In the present study several cytochemical techniques believed to be specific for the demonstration of nucleic acids at the electron microscope level provided evidence which indicates that ribonucleic acid is not present in the chromatoid body. Additionally, thin sections were digested with pronase or pepsin to determine if later forming structures of the neck or flagellum possess similar susceptibility to these enzymes as the chromatoid body. The chromatoid body resisted enzymatic digestion while the segmented columns of the connecting piece and outer dense fibers of the flagellum were extracted. In particular, this makes somewhat unlikely the suggestion in the literature that the chromatoid body may give rise to the connecting piece.