Post-mortem examination of sows genital organs culled for reproductive disturbances and immunohistochemical studies on ERalpha and PR A receptors in the anoestral sows uterus

• Published in: Reproduction in domestic animals Vol. 42; no. 3; pp. 275 - 281
• Main Authors: Karveliene, B, Zilinskas, H, Riskevicience, V
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Germany 01.06.2007
• Subjects: Animals; Autopsy - veterinary; Estradiol - blood; Estrogen Receptor alpha - metabolism; Female; Genitalia, Female - metabolism; Genitalia, Female - pathology; Immunohistochemistry - veterinary; Infertility, Female - pathology; Infertility, Female - veterinary; Ovary - pathology; Progesterone - blood; Receptors, Progesterone - metabolism; Swine; Swine Diseases - blood; Swine Diseases - pathology; Uterus - pathology
• ISSN: 0936-6768

The aim of present study was post-mortem examination of ovaries, uterus and plasma oestradiol-17beta (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations in the blood of sows with reproductive disturbances and the distribution of oestradiol receptor (ERalpha), as well as progesterone (PR-A) in the anoestrous sows uteri. Reproductive organs of 150 crossbred sows (Lithuanian White x Danish Landrace) culled for the reasons of reproductive disturbances, were collected in local abattoir over a period of 3 months (September-November). Organs were assessed to determine the stage of the oestrous cycle or anoestrus and their development. Blood samples were collected for E2 and P4 analysis from the jugular vein 1 h prior to slaughter. For this study uterine samples only from pathological anoestrous sows were subjected to immunohistochemical staining to assess the distribution of ERalpha and PR-A in surface epithelium, subepithelial connective tissue, glandular epithelium and myometrium. Macroscopic examination of the ovaries showed that 68.7% sows had active cycling ovaries, 26.6% sows were anoestrus, ovaries were small without CL, and 4.7% of sows had multiple follicular cysts. In anoestrous sows (n = 27) the number and intensity of the nuclear staining of ERalpha varied between different uterine tissue compartments. The highest number (>80%) and the strongest intensity (+++) of positively stained cells for ERalpha was seen in myometrium and glandular epithelium. In other uterine wall compartments the number and intensity of positively stained for ERalpha nuclei was lower (+/++). The PR-A was absent from all tissue compartments. The intensity of the nuclear staining for ERalpha varied not only between the different uterine compartments but also between the sows. The 11.1% of the sows presented ERalpha in surface epithelium, 74.1% of the sows in glandular epithelium and 63.0% of sows in the myometrium.