Evaluation of the morphological features of the uterine tubes during postnatal development in West African Dwarf goats (<i>Capra hircus</i>)

Abstract

The objective of this study was to highlight the postnatal development of the uterine tubes of the West African Dwarf goat from birth to 28 weeks of age by gross examination and light microscopy. There was a caudal migration of the paired uterine tubes from behind the paired kidneys at birth to the pelvic inlet at week 8 of age. Each uterine tube exhibited three segments namely; infundibulum, ampulla and isthmus. A marked flexure, the utero-tubal junction, was the point at which the uterine tubes joined the uterine horns. The length and absolute weight of the uterine tubes increased from 4.95 ± 0.28 cm and 0.02 ± 0.01 g at birth to 14.98 ± 2.79 cm and 0.22 ± 0.03 g at week 28 of age, respectively. The mucosa of the infundibulum and the ampulla showed long, branched and anastomosing primary, secondary and tertiary mucosal folds which decreased in height towards the isthmus. The mucosal folds within the isthmus were short and lacked the anastomosing pattern. The epithelia of all three segments were pseudostratified columnar. Numerous secretory blebs and extruded nuclei became apparent from week 16 of age. The thickness of the tunica muscularis varied with the segments.