Exfoliative cytology of the uterus and vagina during the follicular and luteal phases in one-humped camel (Camelus dromedarius)

Abstract

The exfoliative cytology of the uterus and vagina area was evaluated in one-humped camel during the follicular and luteal phases. This was carried out using intact genitalia collected from camels immediately after slaughter. A total of 86 genitalia and blood samples were collected and processed. The mean serum progesterone (P4) profile was determined and used to categorize the animals into the follicular (n=51) and luteal phases (n=35). The result of the differential cell counts of the exfoliated vaginal epithelial cells showed mean basal, superficial cells and leucocytes of 27.0%, 25.4% and 14%, respectively being the most prominent during the follicular phase, while the uterine smears were characterized by mean basal (25.6%) , intermediate cells (24.6%) and leucocytes (9.6%) respectively. During the luteal phase, the vaginal smears were characterized majorly by the intermediate (27.4%), parabasal cells (26.6%) and leucocytes (11.6%, while the uterine smears were predominantly characterized by intermediate (22.8%), superficial cells (22.6%) and leucocytes (17.8%) respectively. The result showed that the exfoliative cytology of the uterus and vagina are similar during both the follicular and luteal phases in camels, and so cannot be used alone to characterize these reproductive period. However, this finding has a significant potential application in the use of vaginal cytology alone to assess uterine cellular changes without necessarily invading the uterus under field conditions in camel.

Keywords: Camels, Exfoliative cytology, Follicular, Utero-vagina, Luteal, Progesterone