Equine placentation

Abstract

A tough, elastic glycoprotein capsule envelops the equine blastocyst between Days 6 and 23 after ovulation. It maintains the spherical configuration of, and provides physical support for, the embryo as it traverses the entire uterine lumen during Days 6-17, propelled by myometrial contractions that are stimulated by pulsatile release of prostaglandin F2alpha and prostaglandin E2. The capsule also accumulates constituents of the exocrine secretions of the endometrial glands ('uterine milk') as nutrients for the mobile embryo as it releases its antiluteolytic maternal recognition-of-pregnancy signal to the whole of the surface of the endometrium. Mobility ceases abruptly on Day 17 with a sudden increase in uterine tonicity that 'fixes' the conceptus at the base of one of the uterine horns. At Day 35, the trophoblast of the spherical conceptus has separated into its invasive and non-invasive components. The former, distinguished as the thickened, annulate chorionic girdle, invades the maternal endometrium to form the unique endometrial cups. These secrete a chorionic gonadotrophin that synergizes with pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone to induce secondary luteal development in the maternal ovaries. The cup cells express foreign fetal antigens that stimulate strong maternal humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, which curtail their lifespan. The non-invasive trophoblast of the allantochorion establishes a stable microvillous contact with the endometrial epithelium around Day 40 and, over the next 100 days, develops a complex multibranched interdigitation with the endometrium to form the microcotyledonary haemotrophic exchange units that cover the entire surface of the diffuse epitheliochorial placenta. Reduction in the effective total area of fetomaternal contact at this placental interface, by competition between twin conceptuses for the limited area of available endometrium, by attachment of the allantochorion to an imperfect endometrium in a mare with endometrosis, or following cross-breeding or embryo transfer between a sire and dam of dissimilar size, will all induce intrauterine growth retardation of the fetus and runting of the foal, which persists into adult life. Over 40 years ago, Professor Roger Short and his colleagues determined that the high concentrations of conventional and unique ring B unsaturated oestrogens in the blood and urine of mares during the second half of pregnancy stem from placental aromatization of large quantities of C-19 precursor molecules secreted by the temporarily hypertrophic fetal gonads. Placental production of progesterone and 5alpha-reduced progestagens, on the other hand, depends on both maternal and fetal adrenal sources of pregnenelone.

Implantation mechanisms: insights from the sheep

“…In domestic ruminants and pigs, the blastocyst elongates during the latter stages of implantation, but this unique developmental event does not occur in laboratory rodents, horses, primates or humans (Guillomot et al 1993, Allen & Stewart 2001. The polar trophectoderm over the inner cell mass (Rauber's layer) is removed before elongation of the blastocyst.…”

Novel interferon delta genes in mammals: Cloning of one gene from the sheep, two genes expressed by the horse conceptus and discovery of related sequences in several taxa by genomic database screening

“…Cytokines expressed from both sides of the interface appear to have an increasing importance in the establishment of successful pregnancy (Schafer-Somi, 2003;Roberts et al, 2008). Although it remains to be shown that both EqIFN-δ proteins are actually expressed by the horse conceptus, this fact could have important consequences in the understanding of early conceptus development and maternal-fetal interaction which appear rather complex and atypical in this species (Allen and Stewart, 2001;Betteridge, 2007). Further work is required to identify precisely the kinetics of expression of these genes by the horse conceptus during its early development and by which part of the conceptus they are actually expressed, a point that could be investigated by in situ hybridization techniques.…”

Aplicação da ultrassonografia colorida doppler em programas de transferência de embriões equinos

“…A manutenção da gestação em éguas, assim como nas demais espécies domésticas, requer constante síntese de progesterona (ALLEN & STEWART, 2001). A administração de P4 é frequentemente empregada em programas de reprodução equina com o intuito de prevenir a morte embrionária/fetal precoce devido à insuficiência luteal (ALLEN, 2001).…”