GROSS AND HISTOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE UTERUS OF CAMELS (Camelus dromedarius)

In this study, 12 uteri of normal non-pregnant female camels from the industrial slaughter house of Mashhad were examined. Tissue samples were taken from different parts of each uterus (Horn, Body and Cervix). Histological sections were stained with Haematoxilin and Eosin, Periodic Acid Schiff, Alcian blue, Van Gieson and Verhof. The camel has a bipartite uterus, which is shaped more like the letter T than the classical Y shaped bipartite uterus seen in other ruminants. The left horn was longer (78.8 +/- 18.3mm) than the right horn (62.3 +/- 40.7mm) and the diameter of the left uterine horn (43.6 +/- 11.2mm) was more than the diameter of the right uterine horn (40.4 +/- 9.1 mm). The length of uterine body was 65 +/- 9.4mm. The length of cervix was 50.1 +/- 10.2mm with 4-5 annular mucosal folds. Intercornual ligament was absent. The endometrial lining consisted of a single layer of columnar epithelium supported by a lamina propria with simple tubular glands. The covering epithelium of endometrium was reacted positive to Periodic Acid Schiff. Myometrium has both a thick inner circular and a thin longitudinal smooth muscle, a vascular layer occurs in the longitudinal layer. Average diameter of endometrium and myometrium in horn and body of uterus was measured by an optical lens. Epithelial layer of the mucosa of cervix was simple columnar and its lining cells were glandular, their secretion activity was positive to Periodic Acid Schiff and Alcian blue.