title: Morphometric Study of the Mare Oviductal Mucosa at Different Reproductive Stages.
abstract: The objectives of this work were to describe some morphometric characteristics and to establish quantitative parameters of different regions of the equine oviductal mucosa from the isthmus, ampullary-isthmic junction (AIJ), and ampulla. Twenty-one mixed-bred mares were used for this study. Mares were selected in the following reproductive phases: anestrus, estrus, and diestrus. The left oviducts were examined with light microscopy, and rights ones were studied through the intraoviductal molds. The isthmus showed the smallest luminal area, mucosal area, epithelial perimeter, and luminal diameter. On the molds surfaces, some grooves extended as longitudinal canals, reducing their depth as they approached to the AIJ. Several small height projections, some obliquely positioned towards utero-tubal junction, were observed in all reproductive phases. These formations may represent pockets or cul-de-sacs in the basal areas of the epithelial folds. The AIJ mucosa gradually changed from the smooth isthmic region toward highly folded ampulla. The number and complexity of epithelial folds showed moderate increase in the same way that many of the morphometric parameters. Multiple curves were observed on the molds of the AIJ, creating a zigzag path in the oviductal lumen. In the ampulla, the high branched epithelial folds occupied most of the lumen, leaving a small luminal area free. A linear relationship between epithelial perimeter and mucosal area was found. The presence of glandular-like structures was observed in all the reproductive stages studied. The equine endosalpinx reveals a highly complex tridimensional arrangement where each region shows very particular and specific designs.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía Animal, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5804 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Horacio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mouguelar
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía Animal, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5804 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Tomás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Díaz
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Anatomía Animal, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5804 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Damiana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Borghi
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5804 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Quinteros
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5804 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: Facundo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bonino
authors.affiliation: Instituto Superior de Investigaciones Biológicas, (CONICET), Facultad de Bioquímica, Química y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, 4000, Argentina.
authors.forename: Silvana Andrea
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Apichela
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto, 5804 Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: José Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Aguilar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D010057:Oviducts / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: mare; morphometric characteristics;reproductive stages; mucosa arrangement; oviduct