Metachromasia of the endocervical epithelium for delineating the internal os
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Osaka City University Medical School, 1-4-3, Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545-8585, Japan.
Objective:
To study the metachromatic stainability of the endocervical epithelium.
Study Design:
Surgical specimens that included endocervical epithelium were deparaffinized and stained with toluidine blue at various pH levels and after enzyme digestion. Glycosaminoglycans were separated from endocervical tissue and analyzed by electrophoresis.
Results:
The endocervical epithelium stained metachromatically purple with toluidine blue in pH 4.1 buffer, but the staining disappeared after chondroitinase digestion. The electrophoretic mobility of the glycosaminoglycan fraction separated from the endocervical epithelium was compatible with nonsulfated chondroitin.
Conclusion:
Endocervical epithelium was identifiable from metachromatic staining below the internal os, and the electrophoretic results of the tissue extract suggested that nonsulfated chondroitin is the main component of glycosaminoglycans in endocervical epithelium.
