Histomorphological study of luteal cells in the corpus Luteum of cyclic and pregnant cows in Duhok province

Abstract EN

This study conducted on forty six bovine corpora lutea were collected from local Duhok abattoir; among these samples thirty nine corpora lutea in various stages of estrous cycle and seven corpora lutea from pregnant genitalia.

All corpora lutea were fixed with 10% neutral buffer formalin and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for microscopic examination to discover whether there is a difference between the luteal cells cyclic and pregnancy corpus luteum in cow.

The results of this study showed that the cyclic corpus luteum had only two types of luteal cells.

Large luteal cells were round in shape with pale staining cytoplasm with distinct boundary.

The nuclei were centrally located, with prominent nucleoli and sparse chromatin network and the small luteal cells were indistinct boundary or irregular in outline with dark staining cytoplasm.

They had dark compact nuclei eccentrically located with a condensed chromatin network.

Corpus luteum of pregnancy were found with five types of luteal cells.

Type 1 luteal cell, as a rounded cell, centrally located nucleus with one or two prominent nucleoli and these cells are less plump and regular in cell outline than type 2.

Type 2 luteal cells were the largest cell, distinct nuclear membranes with one or two nucleus and one or two prominent nucleoli.

Type 3 luteal cells, cell membranes and nuclear membranes that are shrunken.

Type 4 luteal cells, spindle shaped appearance cell with intense staining of the cytoplasm.

Type 5 luteal cells are the smallest luteal cells and had a small dense nucleus the cells had very little cytoplasm.

These results showed that on the basis of structure there were substantial differences in the morphology of luteal cells between cyclic and pregnant cow.