Prenatal development of the digestive system in the horse.
Abstract: Since the horse has a highly precocial reproductive strategy, most organs are functionally well developed at birth and thus, embryonic and fetal life is interesting. Data on the development of important organs are very limited. Here, we detailed macroscopically and histologically the equine digestive system, focusing on the first third of gestation. At 21 days, the oral cavity was an empty space, and the liver contained proliferating endodermal cells. At 25 days, a fusiform stomach and the pancreatic bud were present. At 28 days, a small tongue and the esophagus occurred. At 30 days, primary and secondary palates were developed, the liver contained cords of hepatocytes, and the pancreas was triangular. At 40 days, crypts had formed in the intestinal loops, cell differentiation was observed in the hepatic parenchyma, and the pancreas was elongated. Pancreatic acini and islets were observed in fetuses of 50 days and intestines were highly convoluted. Three segments of the pharynx were distinguishable at 75 days. At 105 days, the intestinal villi were wide with round tips; especially, the liver, stomach, and oral cavity showed key steps of anatomical and cellular differentiation in early fetuses, whereas other areas, such as pancreas or pharynx were still immature in the investigated phase. Pluripotency analysis using Oct4 showed initial intense staining in all of the digestive system tissues and a later decreased becoming restricted to specific cell layers. In conclusion, our data may contribute to perform a chronological reference of developmental events for approaches predicting pregnancy disorders in horses.
© 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Publication Date: 2014-04-29 PubMed ID: 24778084DOI: 10.1002/ar.22929Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
The research article studies and describes the development of the digestive system in a horse during the first third of its gestational period. This developmental information may potentially aid in predicting pregnancy disorders in horses.
Objective of the Research
- The primary objective of the study was to provide a detailed observation of the digestive system development in equine fetuses, particularly during the initial phase of gestation.
Method Used for the Study
- The study was conducted on the fetus of a horse at different stages of gestation.
- The examination was done both macroscopically and histologically.
Key Findings of the Study
- At 21 days of gestation, the oral cavity was found to be an empty space and the liver contained proliferating endodermal cells.
- At 25th day, it had a fusiform stomach and pancreatic bud.
- At 30 days, the fetus developed its primary and secondary palates, the liver contained hepatocyte cords, and the pancreas was found to be triangular in shape.
- By the 40th day, cell differentiation was observed in the hepatic parenchyma, the pancreas was elongated, and crypts had formed in the intestinal loops.
- 50-day-old fetuses had pancreatic acini, convoluted intestines, and islets.
- By the 75th day, three segments of the pharynx were distinguishable.
- At 105 days, the intestinal villi were wide with round tips, indicating significant advancement in the development of the digestive system.
Conclusion of the Study
- Comparison of developments across different gestation days could potentially serve as a reference for predicting certain pregnancy-related disorders in horses.
- Additionally, pluripotency analysis with Oct4 showed intense initial staining in all of the digestive system tissues which later decreased becoming restricted to specific cell layers.
Cite This Article
APA
Rodrigues MN, Carvalho RC, Franciolli AL, Rodrigues RF, Rigoglio NN, Jacob JC, Gastal EL, Miglino MA.
(2014).
Prenatal development of the digestive system in the horse.
Anat Rec (Hoboken), 297(7), 1218-1227.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.22929 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Sao Paulo, Butanta, 05508-270, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Digestive System / embryology
- Embryonic Development
- Fetal Development
- Horses / embryology
- Organogenesis
Citations
This article has been cited 6 times.- Poradowski D, Chrószcz A. Equine Stomach Development in the Foetal Period of Prenatal Life-An Immunohistochemical Study. Animals (Basel) 2022 Dec 31;13(1).
- Poradowski D, Chrószcz A. Equine Stomach Development in the Foetal Period of Prenatal Life-A Histological and Histometric Study. Animals (Basel) 2022 Nov 6;12(21).
- Poradowski D, Chrószcz A. Equine Stomach Development in the Fetal Period: An Anatomical, Topographical, and Morphometric Study. Animals (Basel) 2022 Oct 28;12(21).
- Turek B, Stefanik E, Kozłowska N, Drewnowska-Szczepakowska O, Górski K, Mickiewicz J. Malformation of a Mesocolon as a Cause of Colic in an Arabian Foal. Vet Sci 2021 Sep 13;8(9).
- Ali A, Derar DR, Alaeyeari AA, Alharbi YM. Fetometry in Arabian horses. Front Vet Sci 2025;12:1689769.
- Yoshida S, Takeyama A, Tagami M, Gao Y, Tsogtgerel M, Kobayashi Y, Watanabe K, Nambo Y. A case of a newborn Kiso native pony diagnosed with a median hard cleft palate and urachal hypoplasia. J Equine Sci 2025;36(1):25-31.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
