Background: Few information was given about Telocyte (TC) which was recently discovered in the last
few years.
Aim of the work: This study was designed to give full histological, immunohistochemichal and
ultrastructural preview on TCs distribution in the female genital tract.
Material and method: After vaginal smear examination, thirty rats in diestrus phase were subjected for
this study. Uterine, fallopian tube and vaginal specimens were taken and processed for both light and
electron microscopic examination.
Results: TCs showed weak positive ER-α and marked immunoexpression of PR-A and CD34 in the
endometrial stroma and around the glands, in stratum vascular and outer longitudinal smooth muscle layers
of the uterus, serosa of the fallopian tube and in the lamina propria in addition to the connective tissue
under vaginal epithelium and around and within the bundles of the vagina. Ultrastructurally, the uterus,
fallopian tube and vagina showed triangular or stellate- shaped TCs that contained elongated nucleus
occupying the whole cell body with thin band of marginal heterochromatin and prominent nucleolus and
had one or more telopodes (TPs) with dichotomous pattern of branching. TPs had thin podomere and
thick podom. Podom contains many mitochondria, rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), many caveolae
and pinchedout vesicles. TCs had either homocellular junction between them or heterocellular junction
with adjacent smooth muscle cells. TCs were surrounded by collagen fibers.
Conclusion:TCs are new type of cells with special ultrastructure and immunophenotype characters that
are detected in the female genital tract ,therefore further studies on their distribution in the female genital
tract during different stages of estrus cycle, and trying to correlate between their distribution and their
role in controlling infertility or myometrial contraction during pregnancy should be considered.