Human vaginal-cervical epithelia

In the past, changes in RTj were viewed in terms of assembly/disassembly of the tight junctional complex (reviewed in 93). Recent studies in human vaginal-cervical epithelia have shown acute and reversible modulation of Rtj that are the result of conformational changes in assembled tight junctions [13], The examples presented below relate to effects of modulation of extracellular calcium level (Ca0) and treatments with ATR... 

In human vaginal-cervical epithelia, occludin appears to play a significant role in the regulation of 7 tj- In the vaginal-cervical epithelia, occludin is present in two forms the full length 65-kDa isoform and a truncated 50-kDa isoform [35,43], A shift from 65 kDa to 50 kDa dominance is associated with abrogation of [35,43], suggesting that in low-resistance epithelia, occludin plays an important role in 7 tj-... 

Gorodeski GI [2001] Estrogen biphasic regulation of paracellular permeability of cultured human vaginal-cervical epithelia. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86 4233-4243... 

The presence of human papilloma virus (HPV) is associated with female genital tract diseases such as condyloma, Bowenoid papulosis, and cervical, vaginal, and vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia and carcinoma. A general concern is the association of HPV with cervical cancer (Gl). The HPV consists of an icosahedral viral particle (virion) containing 8000 base pairs, a circular, double-stranded piece of DNA surrounded by a protein capsid. Viral replication takes place within the nuclei of infected squamous epithelial cells (H5). Following infection of epithelial cells, the viral DNA penetrates throughout the entire thickness of the epithelium, but intact viruses are found only in the upper layers of tissue. 

The human vagina, a fibromuscular tube 10-15 cm long, extends upwards and backwards from the vulva to the lower uterine cervix. Blood is supplied to the vagina via the uterine and pudendal arteries, and is drained from the vagina by a rich plexus, which flows into the internal iliac veins. The surface of the vaginal epithelium is kept moist by cervical secretions. The pH of vaginal fluid is 4-5. 

---