The Biometry of the Gravid Uterus in Egyptian Buffalo Cows

Abstract

Summary 1. The biometry of the buffalo uterus was studied in 54 and 167 non‐gravid and gravid buffalo uteri, respectively. The material covers the period from the 38th day until some two weeks before parturition. 2. The non‐gravid uterus averaged 525 gm. in weight. The two horns are nearly equal in weight and size. The total number of caruncles averaged 100 and the counts were equally shared by both horns. 3. In the gravid uteri, right side pregnancy was observed in 53% of the total pregnancies. 4. The weight of the uterus and its contents increases 63‐fold during the period studied and is 88 times that of the non‐gravid state. This increment is due to the increase in the different components and the percentages were variable from one month to the other. The empty uterus formed about 74% of the weight of the uterus and its contents at the second month and had fallen to 15% at the tenth month. 5. The empty uterus increased about 13 times from the second to the tenth month. Both the gravid and the non‐gravid horns increased progressively in weight during the different months of gestation. 6. The text contains the details of the data concerning the different measurements of the gravid and the non‐gravid horns. The greater curvature of the gravid horn increased 63‐fold from the non‐gravid state and 50 times from the second to the tenth month. The circumference increased 82 and 62‐fold during the given stages, respectively. 7. The weight of a single caruncle increased some 48‐fold from the third to the tenth month. Zusammenfassung Biometrische Untersuchungen am graviden Uterus von ägyptischen Büffelkuhen 1. Die biometrischen Untersuchungen wurden an 54 nichtgraviden und 167 graviden Büffeluteri ausgeführt. Die graviden Uteri stammten von Tieren mit einer Gravidität von 38 Tagen bis 2 Wochen vor der Geburt. 2. Die nichtgraviden Uteri wiesen ein Gewicht von 525 g auf. Die beiden Hörner waren etwa gleich schwer und gleich groß. Beide Hörner zeigten etwa gleich viel Karunkeln. Insgesamt wurden durchschnittlich 100 Karunkeln festgestellt. 3. Rechtsseitige Graviditäten lagen in 53% der beobachteten Fälle vor. 4. Während der Beobachtungszeit nahm der Uterus (inkl. Inhalt) um das 63fache an Gewicht zu. Gegenüber den nichtgraviden Uteri erhöhte sich das Gewicht um das 88fache. Die prozentualen Zunahmen der verschiedenen Komponenten variierten von Monat zu Monat. 5. Der leere Uterus nahm von 2. bis 10. Monat der Trächtigkeit um das 13fache an Gewicht zu, wobei sich auch das nichtgravide Horn vergrößerte. 6. Die große Kurvatur des graviden Horns vergrößerte sich bis zum 10. Graviditätsmonat gegenüber dem nichtgraviden Zustand um das (63fache und gegenüber dem Zustand des 2. Graviditätsmonates um das 50fache. Die Umfangsvermehrung betrug in den eben erwähnten Perioden das 82‐ zw. 62fache. 7. Das Gewicht einer einzelnen Karunkel nahm vom 3. bis zum 10. Monat um das 48fache zu. Résumé La biométrie de l'utérus gravide chez des buffles égyptiens 1. On étudie la biométrie de l'utérus du buffle sur 54 utérus non gravides et 167 utérus ...

Quantification, Morphology and Ultrastructure of Preantral Follicles of Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) Foetuses

“…Ovaries of 15 buffalo foetuses between 12 and 60 cm CRL from slaughtered females (body and age scores unknown) were collected and fixed (either 2.5% Bouin or glutaraldehyde) for histological processing and quantification in the laboratory. The measurement of the crown‐rump length along the vertebral curvature was taken according to the method of Abdel‐Raouf and El‐Naggar (1968).…”

Transplacental Transfer of Iron in the Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis): Uteroferrin and Erythrophagocytosis

“…Immediately after death, the uterus was opened and the foetus and foetal fluids were removed. The cephalo‐coccygeal distance (crown‐rump length, CR) was measured to estimate day of pregnancy, using a formula previously described (Abdel‐Raouf and El‐Naggar 1969). Based on the duration of pregnancy in water buffalo being 308 to 318 days (Fonseca 1986), cows were assigned to be slaughtered at one of five stages of gestation: group 1, days 60–90, CR of 6.2–7.1 cm, N = 6); group 2, days 120–184, CR of 20–49 cm, N = 22; group 3, days 210–240, CR of 60–73 cm, N = 7); group 4, days 241–270, CR of 74–87 cm, N = 12) and group 5, days 271–318, CR of 87.5–108.5 cm, N = 4).…”

Characterization of the extracellular matrix in the chorioallantoic membrane of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in early gestation

“…The choice of this period is based on the studies of McNaughton and Murray () and Guillomot et al (), which says that the rate of abortion in the initial third of gestation can reach 70%, and for the classification of gestational age we used the crown‐rump method which has already been used by several authors for such classification in buffaloes and other ruminant species (Carvalho, Klisch, Miglino, Pereira, & Bevilacqua, ; Morini et al, ). We also used as reference the studies of Abdel‐Raouf and El‐Naggar () which analysed the morphological changes in buffalo embryos throughout their embryonic development. In relation to the microscopic analysis, our results are in accordance with those of Morini, Barbosa, Melnic, Martins, et al () where it was verified that the buffalo membranes presented a layer of rounded cells arranged in a linear form similar to the cubic epithelium, the same type of epithelium which was also checked on our membranes.…”

“…In total, 33 chorioallantoic membranes were collected in slaughterhouse at Macapá, (North of Brazil) from pregnant water buffalos with estimated gestational ages ranging from 30 to 53 days. Estimations of the gestational age were done on the basis of the crown‐rump length following standardized methods (Abdel‐Raouf & El‐Naggar, ) and according to the external features of the embryos and foetuses as previously published by our group (Morini et al, , ), see Table .…”