Leukocyte infiltration and collagenolysis in cervical tissue from intrapartum sheep.
Sheep uterine cervices and cervical mucus were heavily infiltrated by neutrophils during labour, whereas samples of cervices obtained from non-pregnant controls had no infiltrate. The neutrophilic infiltrate of the sheep uterine cervix at term was not homogeneously distributed throughout the organ: luminal mucus contained more neutrophils than tissues which, in turn, displayed a differential distribution, the superficial subepithelial layer being more heavily infiltrated than the deeper submucous layers. A widespread collagenolysis was observed in the sheep uterine cervix at term. The homogeneous morphological aspect of degradation of collagen fibres throughout the whole cervical stroma contrasted with the above-mentioned differential distribution of neutrophils. On the basis of previous reports showing that collagenolysis follows the leukocytic invasion of human and rat cervices at term, a possible role for the neutrophilic infiltrate of the sheep uterine cervix is discussed.
Luque
E H
EH
Department of Human Physiology, Faculty of Biochemistry and Biological Sciences, Santa Fe, Argentina. eluque@fbcb.unl.edu.ar
Bassani
M M
MM
Ramos
J G
JG
Maffini
M
M
Canal
A
A
Kass
L
L
Caldini
E G
EG
Ferreira Júnior
J M
JM
Muñoz de Toro
M
M
Montes
G S
GS
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000502:physiology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003094:Collagen / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D008859:Microscopy, Polarization; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
D003094:Collagen