Popis: |
The aim of the study was to define ultrastructural changes in the ovarian cyclic corpus luteum (CL) of dairy cows with different body condition score (BCS, a 5-point scale). The ovaries were recovered from slaughtered Holstein cows of BCS1 (emaciation; n= 4), BCS2 (tendency to emaciation; n=4), BCS3 (average body condition; n= 4), BCS4 (tendency to fattening; n=4) and BCS5 (fattening; n=4). Average ages of cows were: 6.2, 4.1, 5.7, 5.5 and 6.36 years for BCS1, BCS2, BCS3, BCS4 and BCS5, respectively. For electron microscopy, functioning CL at the mid-luteal phase were fixed in the aldehyde solution and post-fixed in 1% OsO4 solution. For lipid visualization the samples were soaked in 1% p-phenylenediamine solution in acetone. Durcupan ultrathin sections (90 nm) were contrasted with uranyl acetate and lead citrate and viewed under Jeol transmission electron microscope. Occurrence of cell organelles was determined by counting the relative volume of individual cellular components using the modified universal test network. Luteal regression of cyclic CL was characterized by atrophy of lutein cells, condensation of organelles and cytoplasmic inclusions, increase in relative volumes of vacuoles, lysosomes, peroxisomes, autophagosomes and lipids. There were significant differences (p |