Immunohistological studies of the local immune system in the reproductive tract of the mare.

The research article explores the local immune system within the reproductive tract of horses, specifically mares, using immunoperoxidase techniques to identify immunoglobulins and their production cells.

Methodology

• The researchers used the immunoperoxidase technique, a lab procedure used to detect specific antigens in cells of a tissue. The technique helps visualize the location of proteins within cells using antibodies linked to an enzyme.
• This method was adapted for the recognition of free immunoglobulin – a water-soluble protein that helps fight infections, and the cells which produce them, in horse tissues.

Results

• Stains specific for free IgG, IgA, and IgM (types of immunoglobulins) were found at all levels of the reproductive tract.
• A substance called secretory component, used to transport IgA antibodies across epithelial cells, was present in the uterine epithelium (a tissue layer that lines the uterus) but not in the oviduct, cervix, or vagina.
• Cells that produce immunoglobulins were found in all sections of the reproductive tract, with IgG and IgA cells at similar concentrations, albeit with fewer IgM cells.
• There was no noticeable cyclical trend in the staining of free immunoglobulins or plasma cell numbers (plasma cells are white blood cells that produce a single type of antibody).

Conclusions

• The numbers of IgG and IgM plasma cells declined from the uterus to the vagina, as did epithelial staining.
• The ratio of IgG to IgA cells decreased from the oviduct to the vagina.
• This study is useful in understanding the immune response within the reproductive tract of mares and can contribute towards the improvement of their reproductive health.