Histochemical and ultrastructural assessment of the effects of indomethacin on the lipid content od decidual cells

RESUMO

The importance of lipid droplets and theirphospholipid stores as prostaglandin precursors in decidual cells was examined by administering indomethacin (0.2 mg) intraperitoneally to female mice on the fifth day of pregnancy. Control mice received the same volume of sesame oil (vehicle), all mice were sacrificed on the seventh day of prgnancy. Embryo implantation sites were collected and fixed in 3 porcento HgCl2- formalin or 3 porcento CaCl2-formalin solutions. Frozen sections were processed for the histological detection of total lipids and choline-containing phospholipids. some embryo implantation sites were also fixed with glutaraldehyde and processed for embedding in epoxy resin. The decidual reaction was less prominent in the endometrium of indomethacin-treated mice, there were strong reactions for total lipids and choline-containing phospholipids in fully differentiated decidual cells, and these were greather in treated mice. Ultrastructural analysis showed a higher content of lipid droplets in decidual cells of indomethacin-treated mice. These findings suggest that indomethacin affects lipid metabolism in the decidual reaction. The high level of lipid storage in decidual cells strongly suggests that these phospholipids, may be precursor for prostaglandins, nd that the inhibition of prostaglandin bisynthesis may affect the progress of cell already commited to decidualizatin