Morphological study on the phenomenon of the left horn pregnancy in the one-humped camel (camelus dromedarius)‎

Abstract EN

The current study aimed to highlight the histo-morphological basis on which most of the camel fetuses occupy the left uterine horn, even though ovulation occurs from both ovaries with nearly equal frequency.

Fourteen non-pregnant uteri were used: 10 for light microscopy, 2 for scanning electron microscopy and 2 for microvasc-ular casts.

The casts were obtained by injection of 4:1 mixture of Mercox and Methylmethacrylate.

The surface epithelium consisted of columnar cells with rough apical profiles and dense oval nuclei.

These cells were high columnar (23.67 ± 0.48 µm) in the right horn and relatively low (20.33 ± 0.35 µm) in the left one; with wide variety of staining intensities in both.

The number of pale cells was significantly higher in the left horn than in the right one (P<0.01).

Round to oval subepithelial capillaries were seen variably distant from the surface epithelium, forming loose and open network, which was relatively dense in the left uterine horn.

The capillaries had small diameters in the right horn (7.85 ± 0.52 µm) than in the left one (9.21± 0.96 µm).

Endometrial glands were nearly similar with average diameters of (64.34 ± 5.05 µm) in the right horn and (68.20 ± 2.52 µm) in left one.

The epithelial lining of these glands was of tall columnar type with an average height of (20.35 ± 0.79 µm) in the right horn and (26.65 ± 0.69 µm) in the left one.

This glandular