Quantitative evaluation of the vasculature supplying the oviduct in pre-pubertal and sexually mature sows

Arterial Blood Supply of the Mesosalpinx Appears Segmentally Organized in Absence of Uterine Tubes Arteries

Arterial branches to the uterus and ovaries that pass through the mesosalpinx contribute significantly to the maintenance of the ovarian reserve. Especially arterial supply of the uterine tube is provided by a number of anastomoses between both the uterine and ovarian vessels. Knowledge on the morphologic peculiarities will allow to identify main contributors especially blood flow ultrasound examination for the purpose of ovary preserving surgery. This study aimed at identifying landmarks especially for so-called low-flow tubal vessels. Arteries of 17 female Thiel-embalmed bodies were studied along three preselected paramedian segments and measurements taken. A section was made through the center of the ovary perpendicular to uterine tube, then the mesosalpinx tissue distance was divided into 3 equivalent zones: upper, middle and lower thirds. The surface area of the mesosalpinx averaged 1088 ± 62 mm2. 47.7 ± 7.1 % of the mesosalpinx zones included macroscopically visible vessels. The lower third segment of mesosalpinx was the thickest averaging 2.4 ± 1.5 mm. One to three tubal branches were identified in the middle third of the mesosalpinx. Arterial anastomoses were found in the upper segment of the mesosalpinx, but no presence of a marginal vessel supplying the fallopian tube could be found. Statistically significant moderate positive correlations were established between the diameters of the mesosalpingeal arteries between the three zones. The mesosalpinx, uterine tube and the ovary form areas of segmental blood supply. Variants of tubal vessels appear to be a sparse source of blood supply.

Spatiotemporal profiling of the bovine oviduct fluid proteome around the time of ovulation

Understanding the composition of the oviduct fluid (OF) is crucial to better comprehend the microenvironment in which sperm capacitation, fertilization and early embryo development take place. Therefore, our aim was to determine the spatiotemporal changes in the OF proteome according to the anatomical region of the oviduct (ampulla vs. isthmus), the proximity of the ovulating ovary (ipsilateral vs. contralateral side) and the peri-ovulatory stage (pre-ovulatory or Pre-ov vs. post-ovulatory or Post-ov). Oviducts from adult cyclic cows were collected at a local slaughterhouse and pools of OF were analyzed by nanoLC-MS/MS and label-free protein quantification (n = 32 OF pools for all region × stage × side conditions). A total of 3760 proteins were identified in the OF, of which 65% were predicted to be potentially secreted. The oviduct region was the major source of variation in protein abundance, followed by the proximity of the ovulating ovary and finally the peri-ovulatory stage. Differentially abundant proteins between regions, stages and sides were involved in a broad variety of biological functions, including protein binding, response to stress, cell-to-cell adhesion, calcium homeostasis and the immune system. This work highlights the dynamic regulation of oviduct secretions and provides new protein candidates for interactions between the maternal environment, the gametes and the early embryo.

Morphological changes in the porcine cervix: A comparison between nulliparous and multiparous sows with regard to post-cervical artificial insemination

In recent decades, new artificial insemination (AI) methods, such as post-cervical AI (PCAI), have been developed in pig. PCAI involves crossing the cervix to deposit the sperm in the uterine body. Although PCAI application in sows is frequent, its application in nulliparous (gilts) females it is still limited due to the difficulty of passing through the cranial part of the cervical lumen. We hypothesized that ageing and parity would modify the cervical canal, facilitating the introduction of AI devices through the cervix. The aim was to compare the morphology of the uterus at different levels between multiparous and nulliparous females. Morphological analysis of the uterus pointed to a longer cervix (25.9 ± 4.6 vs. 21.6 ± 3.3 cm, p < 0.001) and greater length of the part of the reproductive tract involved in PCAI (from rima vulvae to the last cervical cushion) (56.2 ± 6.0 vs. 50.3 ± 5.2 cm, p < 0.001) in multiparous sows compared with nulliparous animals. As regards the structure of the vaginal and uterine parts of the cervix (the part in contact with the vagina and uterine body, respectively), the cross-sectional area, perimeter and total thickness were greater in the uterine part of multiparous than of nulliparous animals (area: 4.07 ± 1.46 vs. 2.46 ± 0.56 cm², p < 0.01; perimeter: 8.50 ± 1.44 cm vs. 6.28 ± 0.92 cm, p < 0.001; thickness: 10.79 ± 0.96 vs. 8.35 ± 0.62 mm, p < 0.05), but not in the vaginal part. The tissue content analysed in histological cross-sections also showed differences between female groups, a greater content of connective tissue (58.86 ± 10.78 vs. 67.60 ± 13.38%, p < 0.001) and a lower amount of muscle fibres (39.79 ± 10.24 vs. 30.66 ± 13.69%, p < 0.001) being observed in multiparous sows. Finally, silicone casts of the cervical lumen revealed differences between the two groups in the size and shape of the ridges in the lumen trajectory. Parity, which is also influenced by ageing, determines important changes in the size, structure and tissue content of the cervix wall, as well as in the morphology of the cervical canal, which may be responsible for the different levels of performance of PCAI in the female populations. Therefore, the future design of AI strategies and catheters should take into consideration the morphological variations of the cervix lumen, which will depend on age and parity of the females.