This dissertation has been 65—9367 microfilmed exactly as received PALMER, W illiam Martyn, 1930- MACROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC CHANGES IN THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT OF THE LAC— T A TING SOW. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1965 Agriculture, animal culture University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan MACROSCOPIC AND MICROSCOPIC CHANGES IN THE REPRODUCTIVE TRACT OF THE LACTATING SOW DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of the Ohio State University By William Martyn Palmer, B.S.A., M.Sc. The Ohio State University . 196$ Approved by Adviser Department of Animal Science ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Sincere appreciation is expressed to Dr. Howard S. Teague and Dr. Walter G. Venzke for the advice, interest, and guidance which they afforded the writer during the course of this investigation. The assistance given by Dr. Martin Y. Andres, Dr. Vance L. Sanger, and Dr. Allen L. Trapp in histological techniques and interpretation of histological slides is gratefully acknowledged. The willing assistance given by Mr. Glenn Berkey and Mr. Clarke L„ Robey in photographing the graphs and histological sections is deeply appreciated. Acknowledgment is given to Dr. C. R. Weaver for conducting the statistical analyses. Thanks is given to Mr. Glenn W. Todd, Mr. James H. Foster, and Mr. David L. Stickel for caring for the animals and transporting them to the slaughtering establishments. The cooperation of The Ohio State University Meat Laboratory; Sheller Meats Incorporated, Smithville, Ohio; Bob Evans Farms, Xenia, Ohio; and The Superior Provision Company, Massillon, Ohio, in the slaughter of the animals materially aided in carrying out the study. Appreciation is expressed to The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station for the facilities and financial assistance provided. ii Hy most heartfelt thanks to ny wife, Han, for the sacrifices which she made during the period of bqt graduate study and for typing this dissertation. iii VITA July 26, 1930 Born - Vita, Manitoba, Canada 1953 .... B.S.A., The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 19^3-1960 . Extension Livestock Fieldman, Manitoba Department of Agriculture and Conservation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 1962 .... M.Sc., The University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada 1962-1965 . Research Assistant, Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio PUBLICATIONS "Postpartum Changes in the Reproductive Tract of the Lactating Sow.1* Jour. Animal Sci. 23:1227 Abstr., November, 196li FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Animal Science Research in Reproductive Physiology. Professors Howard S. Teague and Walter 0. Venake Studies in Histology. Professor Martin Y. Andres iv CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS........................................... Ii VITA ........................................ iv ILLUSTRATIONS.................................... vii TABLES ........................................................ * INTRODUCTION.................................................. 1 LITERATURE R E V I E W ............................................ 3 The estrcras cycle during lactation ....................... 3 Changes In the reproductive organs during lactation .............................................. 7 Physiological and histological changes during the estrual cycle and early pregnancy ......... 11 O v a r y ............................................... 11 U t e r u s ........................................... 15 Oviduct............................................. 17 Cervix and vagina.................................... 18 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE........................................ 20 RESULTS ..................................................... 2U Macroscopic observations............................. 2U Gross morphology of the ova ry..................... 21* Weight and length of uterus.......................... 33 Histological observations ................................ 36 O v a r y ............................................. 36 U t e r u s ............................................. UP Oviduct............................................. 53 Cervix and vagina ................. 56 CONTENTS— Continued Page DISCUSSION.................................................. 62 SUMMARY .................................................... 70 APPENDIX I .................................................. 7h LITERATURE C I T E D ............................................ 81 vl ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 Ovaries fro* a sow 1 day after parturition . 29 2 Ovaries fro* a sow 7 days after parturition. 29 3 Ovaries fro* a sow 12* days after parturition .... 29 1* Ovaries fro* a sow 1*5 days after parturition .... 29 5 Average dianeter of the corpora lutea of pregnancy at predetermined intervals after farrowing and w e a n i n g .................... 31 6 Average dianeter of all follicles equal to or larger than 2.0 *m. in dianeter at predetermined Intervals after parturition and w e a n i n g .................................... 32 7 Average number of follicles equal to or larger than 5-0 *m. in dianeter at certain periods during lactation and post-weaning .... 31* 8 Weight of the uterus at predetermined intervals after parturition and w e a n i n g ........ 3$ 9 Total length of the uterine horns at certain tine intervals after parturition and w e a n i n g ....................................... 37 10 Corpus luteu* of pregnancy of a sow at 110th day of gestation................................ 39 11 Corpus luteu* of pregnancy section of a sow at 1 day after parturition........................ 39 12 Corpus luteu* of pregnancy of a sow 7 days after f a r r o w i n g ................................ 2*0 13 Corpus luteu* of pregnancy of a sow 11* days after f a r r o w i n g ................................ 1*0 vii ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page lli Corpus luteum of pregnancy of a sow at 1 day after parturition........................ Ii3 15 Ovarian follicle of a sow showing intense alkaline phosphatase reaction in theca i n t e r n a ........................................ U3 16 Newly forming corpus luteum from a sow 3 days post-weaning showing distribution of alkaline phosphatase............................ Uk 17 Uterus and placenta of a sow at 110th day of gestation......................... hh 18 Uterine epithelium of a sow at 1 day postpartum . U6 19 Epithelium of sow's uterus at 7 days after parturition............ ...................... U6 20 Uterine epithelium from a sow lit days postpartum...................................... hi 21 Uterine epithelium of a sow 28 days after f a r r o w i n g ...................................... h9 22 Epithelium of sow's uterus at 3 days post-weaning .................................... U9 23 Uterus of a sow at 7 days postpartum showing slight alkaline phosphatase activity in epithelium and g l a n d s ....................... 52 2h Uterine section of a sow at 3 days post-weaning illustrating strong alkaline phosphatase reaction in epithelial cells .................... 52 25 Transverse section from ampullar region of oviduct of sow at 1 day after f a r r o w i n g ........ 5h 26 Higher magnification of Figure 25 showing epithelium of oviduct of sow at 1 day after farrowing... ............................. 5h viii ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 27 Oviduct epithelium of sow lli days postpartum .... 55 28 Oviduct epithelium of sow 3 days post-weaning .... 55 29 Cervical epithelium of a sow at 110th day of gestation................................... 57 30 Cervical epithelium of a sow at 3 days after farrowing showing aldehyde-fuchsin reaction in the cytoplasm of the epithelial c e l l s ........ 57 31 Cervical epithelium of a sow at 21 days after farrowing............................... 59 32 Vaginal epithelium of a sow at 1 day after parturition ................................. 59 33 Vaginal epithelium of a sow XI4. days postpartum . 61 3U Vaginal epithelium of a sow 3 days post-weaning ................................... 61 Plate I Ovaries of sows at certain time intervals after parturition............................. 29 ix TABLES Table Page 1 Day of slaughter and number of sows .......... 20 2 Means of macroscopic Measurements adjusted for breeding, size of nursing litter, and unequal subclass mufeers..................... 2£ 3 Analyses of variance of macroscopic d a t a ........... 27 U Slaughter day, breeding, and number of pigs farrowed and nursed by sows used in s t u d y .................................. 7h $ Macroscopic observations of the reproductive organs.......................................... 77 x INTRODUCTION Cyclical ovarian activity and eatrus are markedly inhibited or abaent during lactation in nearly all mammalian species. The sow frequently exhibits a non-fertile estrus a few days after parturition but ovulation is generally inhibited throughout the usual 8-week lactation period. However, ovulation and regular periodicity of the estrous cycle are resumed if the young are removed from the sow at any time following parturition. The successful induction of estrus a^d ovulation with subsequent fertilisation and pregnancy in the lactating sow would be of great economic value to the swine producer, since it could increase the reproductive capacity of the breeding herd. However, experimental attempts to modify this period of lactational anestrus in swine have not achieved any consistently satisfactory results to date. Several accounts exist in the literature which outline in detail the gross anatomical and histological changes