The Sow Endosalpinx at Different Stages of the Oestrous Cycle and at Anoestrus: Studies on Morphological Changes and Infiltration by Cells of the Immune System

Abstract

The oviduct, together with its secretion, forms the environment in which gamete transport, sperm maturation, fertilization as well as early embryo transport and development occur. Morphological aspects, as well as immune cell distribution, have been described only to a limited extent regarding the pig oviduct. To better understand the reproductive physiology, more information is needed regarding morphology and infiltration of immune cells at different stages of the oestrous cycle.The aim of this study was to investigate the morphological changes and the distribution of leukocytes in the sow endosalpinx throughout the oestrous cycle and at anoestrus. Nineteen crossbred sows (Swedish Landrace × Swedish Yorkshire) at late dioestrus (3), prooestrus (3), oestrus (3), early dioestrus (3), dioestrus (3) and anoestrus (4) were used. Oviductal samples from three different parts (isthmus, ampulla and infundibulum), taken immediately after slaughter, were immersion-fixed, embedded in plastic resin and stained with toluidine blue or stored in a freezer at -70°C until analysed by immunohistochemistry (prooestrus and anoestrus) with an avidin-biotin peroxidase method. Quantitative and qualitative examinations of oviductal epithelial and subepithelial connective tissue layers were performed by light microscopy.During all stages, a lower degree of morphological changes in the epithelium (pseudostratification, mitosis and secretory granules) was found in the isthmus compared with ampulla and infundibulum. In the ampulla and infundibulum, pseudostratification, mitotic activity and secretory granules were high at prooestrus/oestrus. Cytoplasmic protrusions of epithelial cells with some extruded nuclei were prominent in ampulla and infundibulum at all stages except for oestrus and early dioestrus.Lymphocytes as well as CD2 and CD3 positive cells were the predominant immune cells in the epithelial layer. The numbers of lymphocytes and CD3 positive cells did not differ among segments and stages. Numbers of CD2 positive cells did not differ between prooestrus and anoestrus while the numbers were significantly higher in the infundibulum than in ampulla and isthmus. Neutrophils were only occasionally found and mainly in the infundibulum.In the subepithelial connective tissue layer, the two most commonly observed immune cell types were lymphocytes and plasma cells. The numbers of lymphocytes as well as CD2 and CD3 positive cells was lower in isthmus than in the other segments (P ≤ 0.001). Higher numbers of plasma cells (P ≤ 0.001) were found in infundibulum than in ampula and isthmus. The numbers of lymphocytes and plasma cells were not significantly different between stages of the oestrous cycle. However, the number of neutrophils differed and were highest at prooestrus in ampulla and infundibulum. The numbers of CD2, CD3 and CD79 positive cells did not differ between prooestrus and anoestrus whereas for CD14 and SWC3 positive cells, the numbers were higher at prooestrus (P ≤ 0.05) than at anoestrus.In the oviduct, the morphology differ...

Domuz oviduktunda mast hücreleri üzerinde ışık ve elektron mikroskobik çalışmalar

“…Domuz böbreğindeki mast hücreleri üzerinde yapılan elektron mikroskopik incelemelerde, bu hücrelerde 3 tip granül bulunduğu bildirilmiştir (21). Memeli oviduktu spermatozoonun hareketlilik kazandığı, kapasitasyonun şekillendiği, embriyonun ve oosit II'nin bu bölgeden geçişinde beslenmesinin sağlandığı, erken embriyonik gelişmelerin gerçekleştiği önemli bir organdır (9). Bütün bu fonksiyonları yerine getiren oviduktun yapısında bulunan mast hücrelerinin yapı ve fonksiyonlarının daha detaylı incelenmesi gerektiği inancıyla bu çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir.…”

Histomorphology of the porcine oviduct

“…It has been ascertained that, in pigs, the rate of protein synthesis in the epithelial cells of the ampulla is greater than that in the isthmus. It has been reported that the alterations that occur particularly during the prooestrus and oestrus phases bear great significance for the capacitation of the spermatozoon and the development of the oocyte (10).…”

Seminal Influence of the Oviduct : Mating and/or semen components induce gene expression changes in the pre-ovulatory functional sperm reservoir in poultry and pigs

“…Japanese quails have shown increased heterophil counts in their vagina and UVJ up to three hours after copulation (Higaki et al, 1995), similarly to the response seen in pigs (see above). Macrophages are distributed in the stroma and mucosal epithelium of laying hens and are increased in the vagina, magnum and infundibulum, but not in the SST (Zheng and Yoshimura, 1999), similarly to what is described in sows (Jiwakanon et al, 2005). The innate immunity in all segments of the oviduct in poultry is governed by β-defensins (avβD) with antimicrobial activity, namely avβD 1-5 and 7-12, that are overexpressed in the vagina of laying hens (Ohashi et al, 2005;AbdelMageed et al, 2008: Das et al, 2008.…”

“…The adaptive immune system is well represented in the female genitalia of poultry and pigs with both T cells (CD4+ and CD8+), B cells (IgA+, IgG+ and IgM+) and MHC class II positive antigen presenting cells (Withanage et al, 1997;Kaeoket et al, 2001c, Jiwakanon et al, 2005. The oviduct of the laying hen contains all sets of T lymphocytes largely in the lamina propria (Withanage et al, 1997), including CD8+ cells close to the epithelial lining, but rarely in the UVJ.…”

“…IgA+ lymphocytes are highly encountered in vagina, IgM+ cells in uterus and IgG+ cells in the isthmus, while the infundibulum and the UVJ contain very few immunoglobulins-positive cells (Withanage et al, 1997). Comparatively, the sow endosalpinx displays CD3+, CD14+ and CD79+ cells in the isthmus, ampulla and particularly in the epithelial layer of the infundibulum but they are not detected in the UTJ (Jiwakanon et al, 2005). Both CD14+ and CD79+ cells have also been observed in the sub-epithelial lamina propria, depicting a rich infundibular localization compared to isthmus and ampulla, and definitively contrasting that of the UTJ.…”