Leukocyte infiltration and Collagenolysis in Cervical Tissue from Intrapartum Sheep

LUQUE EH; BASSANI M,; RAMOS JG; MAFFINI M; CANAL A; KASS L; CALDINI EG; FERREIRA JR JMC; MUÑOZ DE TORO M; MONTES GS

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICINE SERIES B

Año: 1997 vol. 44 p. 501 - 510

0931-1793

Sheep uterine cervices and cervical mucus were heavily infiltrated by neutrophils during labour, whereas samples of cervices obtained from non-pregnant controls had no infiltrate. The neutrophilic infiltrate of the sheep uterine cervix at term was not homogeneously distributed throughout the organ: luminal mucus contained more neutrophils than tissues which, in turn, displayed a differential distribution, the superficial subepithelial layer being more heavily infiltrated than the deeper submucous layers. A widespread collagenolysis was observed in the sheep uterine cervix at term. The homogeneous morphological aspect of degradation of collagen fibres throughout the whole cervical stroma contrasted with the above-mentioned differential distribution of neutrophils. On the basis of previous reports showing that collagenolysis follows the leukocytic invasion of human and rat cervices at term, a possible role for the neutrophilic infiltrate of the sheep uterine cervix is discussed.