Morphological characterization of the intercaruncular region of pregnant cows and water buffalo cows

Abstract

Intercaruncular glandular regions were found among the uterine caruncles in ruminant pregnant uteruses. The endometrial glands play an important role in the substance transfer from dam to fetus, including that of iron. Therefore, our objective was to characterize these intercaruncular regions of the pregnant uterus of zebu and buffalo cows. Small portions of the same regions of zebu (n=57) and water buffalo cows (n=30) were fixed in 10% formaldehyde and 4% paraformoldehyde in PBS, processed and stained for light microscopy in order to characterize the morphology, and histochemistry (Perl’s, PAS and acid phosphatase reactions) to confirm iron transfer. The intercaruncular region was located among the uterine caruncles and was composed by an endometrium, a myometrium, and a richly vascularized perimetrium. The endometrial glands were made up of a simple columnar epithelium and they were reactive to ferric iron (Perl's reaction), acid phosphatase and PAS. Collectively, the present results support the hypothesis that endometrial glands are important sites of secretion and substance transfer from the dam and that they are implicated in the nourishment of the ruminant fetus.

Keywords

• intercaruncular region
• gestation
• cows
• buffalo cows
• histiotrophic nutrition