Cyclic Changes of Nerve Fibers in Human Endometrium

Nerve fibers are very thin, thread-like transmission lines that carry signals between nerves and receptors in the skin, muscles, and internal organs in human body. Their official job is to conduct nerve impulses, which basically means that they are responsible for delivering signals and sensations from the nerves to various parts of the body. Commonly, people can suffer a variety of different health consequences when the fibers connecting the nerves to transmission sites break down or lose efficiency. According to some research, it has been known that the presence of nerve fibers in human endometrium is controversial and still remains unsettled.

However, some recent immunocytochemical studies have shown that there was increased innervation in the endometrium from women with endometriosis and some nerve fibers in the normally cycling human endometrium. Due to this fact, in the current study, the authors detected the presence of nerve fibers in normally cycling endometrium of different menstrual cycle using NF and CD 56 immunostaining in basalis, functionalis and myometrium.

A total of 16 cases from normally cycling women were included representing menstrual, early proliferative, early to late secretary phase. Neurofilament and CD 56 were used as immunocytochemical markers for nerve fibers with cryosections. The results showed that there were consistent presence of nerve fibers in myometrium and basalis. Few small nerve fibers were identified in early proliferative endometrium and more nerve fibers were present in lower-half functionalis from mid-secretary phase. Late-secretary functionalis showed less nerve fibers in the upper-half than the lower-half functionalis, implying growing nerve fibers from lower functionalis to upper functionalis in late-secretary phase.

In conclusion, Nerve fibers appeared to cyclically grow from basalis to lower functionalis and then from lower functionalis to upper functionalis concomitantly with blood vessels in normally cycling human endometrium. These cycling endometrial nerve fibers consisted mostly of nonmyelinated small nerve fibers, which may transmit pelvic pain in the normally cycling women.

Article by Tatsuo Tomita and Kuni Mah, from USA.

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Image by pmarek98, from Flickr-cc.