Analysis Tools
reproductive system
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• despite estrous cycle irregularities, PMSG-stimulated mutant ovaries show normal gonadotropin sensitivity and follicular growth relative to wild-type ovaries
• despite absence of uNK cells, mutant females can become pregnant and show normal fertilization, implantation and maintenance of early pregnancy with no significant fetal loss or obvious body weight differences in fetuses at day 13 of gestation or offspring at term relative to wild-type controls
• in addition, mutant mothers show normal lactation and normal nursing frequency and duration relative to wild-type mothers
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• the decidual region between the placenta and the myometrium is deficient in normal decidual cells, and a large area of adipose tissue or edema is observed
• the maternal arterioles of mutant deciduas exhibit normal blood vessel diameters but a significantly thickened vascular wall in the decidua basalis
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• a thickened vascular wall is noted in the decidua basalis
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• at day 13 of gestation, the mutant metrial gland is very thin and acellular while placental morphology and size is similar to that of wild-type females
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• unlike in wild-type females, no uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are detected in the uterus of pregnant mutant females at day 13 of gestation
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• at 8-12 weeks of age, mutant females display a significantly reduced frequency of estrous cycles per 20 days of observation relative to wild-type females (2.53 +/- 0.27 vs 3.90 +/- 0.10, respectively)
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• at 8-12 weeks of age, the mean duration of one estrous cycle is significantly longer in mutant females than in wild-type females (8.77 +/- 1.27 vs 4.43 +/- 0.10 days, respectively)
• the proportion of time spent in metestrous and/or diestrous stages is significantly higher in mutant females relative to wild-type females (70.0 +/- 8.1% vs 50.0 +/- 1.9%, respectively)
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embryo
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• the decidual region between the placenta and the myometrium is deficient in normal decidual cells, and a large area of adipose tissue or edema is observed
• the maternal arterioles of mutant deciduas exhibit normal blood vessel diameters but a significantly thickened vascular wall in the decidua basalis
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• a thickened vascular wall is noted in the decidua basalis
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• at day 13 of gestation, the mutant metrial gland is very thin and acellular while placental morphology and size is similar to that of wild-type females
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• unlike in wild-type females, no uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are detected in the uterus of pregnant mutant females at day 13 of gestation
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hematopoietic system
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• unlike in wild-type females, no uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are detected in the uterus of pregnant mutant females at day 13 of gestation
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immune system
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• unlike in wild-type females, no uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are detected in the uterus of pregnant mutant females at day 13 of gestation
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endocrine/exocrine glands
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• at day 13 of gestation, the mutant metrial gland is very thin and acellular while placental morphology and size is similar to that of wild-type females
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• unlike in wild-type females, no uterine natural killer (uNK) cells are detected in the uterus of pregnant mutant females at day 13 of gestation
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