Linharattanaruksa Pichanun, Srisuwatanasagul Sayamon, Ponglowhapan Suppawiwat, Khalid Muhammad, Chatdarong Kaywalee
Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand.
J Vet Med Sci. 2014 Mar 1;76(2):197-203. doi: 10.1292/jvms.13-0114. Epub 2013 Oct 22.
The extracellular matrix of the cervix that comprises collagen, elastin, proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) is thought to have an essential role in cervical relaxation. This study investigated the proportion of collagen and smooth muscle as well as the GAGs in cervices obtained from healthy bitches at different stages of the estrous cycle and bitches with open- and closed-cervix pyometra. Cervices were collected after ovariohysterectomy. The proportion of collagen to smooth muscle was determined using Masson's trichrome staining. Alcian blue staining was used to evaluate the relative distribution of cervical GAGs. The proportion of cervical collagen relative to smooth muscle was higher at estrus compared to anestrus (P≤0.05). It was also higher (P≤0.05) in bitches with open- compared to those with closed-cervix pyometra. Overall, hyaluronan (HA) was the predominant GAG in the canine cervix. In the luminal epithelium, the staining intensity for HA was stronger in estrus than in anestrus (P≤0.05), but not in diestrus (P>0.05). On the contrary, the intensity for the combined keratan sulfate (KS) and heparan sulfate (HS) was stronger in anestrus than in estrus and diestrus (P≤0.05). In bitches with pyometra, the staining intensity of the stroma for KS and HS was weaker in open- compared to closed-cervix pyometra (P≤0.05). Collectively, the different profiles of collagen and GAG suggest that the metabolism of both collagen and GAGs in the canine cervix is associated with hormonal statuses during the estrous cycle and cervical patency of bitches with pathological uterine conditions, such as pyometra.
子宫颈的细胞外基质由胶原蛋白、弹性蛋白、蛋白聚糖和糖胺聚糖（GAGs）组成，被认为在子宫颈松弛中起重要作用。本研究调查了处于发情周期不同阶段的健康母犬以及患有开放性和闭合性子宫积脓母犬的子宫颈中胶原蛋白和平滑肌的比例以及GAGs的情况。子宫颈在卵巢子宫切除术后采集。使用Masson三色染色法测定胶原蛋白与平滑肌的比例。采用阿尔辛蓝染色法评估子宫颈GAGs的相对分布。与发情间期相比，发情期子宫颈胶原蛋白相对于平滑肌的比例更高（P≤0.05）。与闭合性子宫积脓的母犬相比，开放性子宫积脓的母犬该比例也更高（P≤0.05）。总体而言，透明质酸（HA）是犬子宫颈中主要的GAG。在腔上皮中，HA的染色强度在发情期比发情间期更强（P≤0.05），但在发情后期无差异（P>0.05）。相反，硫酸角质素（KS）和硫酸乙酰肝素（HS）的组合染色强度在发情间期比发情期和发情后期更强（P≤0.05）。在患有子宫积脓的母犬中，开放性子宫积脓的母犬基质中KS和HS的染色强度比闭合性子宫积脓的母犬弱（P≤0.05）。总的来说，胶原蛋白和GAGs的不同分布表明，犬子宫颈中胶原蛋白和GAGs的代谢与发情周期中的激素状态以及患有诸如子宫积脓等病理性子宫疾病母犬的子宫颈通畅情况有关。
