Abstract

TOLENTINO-CASTRO, Cristina; MIRANDA-JIMENEZ, Leonor; QUERO-CARRILLO, Adrián R.  and  PESCADOR-SALAS, Nazario. Frequency, morphology, and in vitro progesterone concentration of ewes cavitary corpus luteum. Agrociencia [online]. 2015, vol.49, n.3, pp.267-275. ISSN 2521-9766.

The corpus luteum (CL) may develop as a compact or cavitary structure. But it is unknown whether the morpho-physiological characteristics of compact corpora lutea (CLsCom) differ from that of cavitary corpora lutea (CLsCav), neither if these characteristics are determined by type, wool producing ewes (oveja de lana - OL) versus hair ewe (oveja de pelo - OP). Therefore, in our study ovaries were collected from sacrificed ewes and 81 corpora lutea were obtained from OL and 81 from OP. The experimental design was completely randomized with a 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments. The variables evaluated were frequency, macroscopic and microscopic morphology, and production of progesterone (P4) in vitro, in 0.1 g luteum tissue, with or without addition of 350 IU of eCG. The frequency of CLsCav was higher (p≤0.05) in OP (50.6 %) than in OL (35.8 %). The CLsCav were smaller (p≤0.05) than the CLsCom. The P4 concentration in CLsCav and CLsCom of both types, with or without eCG, was similar (p>0.05) throughout culturing. The CLsCav from OP had fewer cells per visual field (19) and were larger (25 μm) than CLsCom cells (25.6 and 15 μm; p≤0.05). Hair ewes had a higher percentage of CLsCav than wool ewes. The CLsCav were smaller than the CLCom and in vitro progesterone production of the two types of CL was similar.

Keywords : Corpus luteum; ewes; progesterone.