Anatomy and histology of the foramen of ovarian bursa opening to the peritoneal cavity and its changes in autoimmune disease-prone mice.

In this study, we revealed anatomical and histological characteristics of the ovarian bursa in C57BL/6 N, MRL/MpJ, and MRL/MpJ-Faslpr / lpr mice. All strains had the foramen of ovarian bursa (FOB), with a size of approximately 0.04 to 0.12 cm2 , surrounded by the ligament of ovarian bursa (LOB), which is part of the mesosalpinx. The LOB was partially lined with the cuboidal mesothelial cells and consisted of a thick smooth muscle layer in all strains. In 6-month-old MRL/MpJ-Faslpr / lpr mice, in which the systemic autoimmune abnormality deteriorated and oocyte pick-up function was impaired, the size of the FOB tended to be larger than that of other strains. Additionally, in MRL/MpJ-Faslpr / lpr mice at 6 months of age, there was infiltration by numerous immune cells in the mesosalpinx suspending the isthmus; however, the LOB prevented severe inflammation and showed deposition of collagen fibers. These results not only indicate that the FOB is a common structure within mice, but also imply the physiological function of the LOB and its role in maintaining the microenvironment around the ovary, as well as regulating healthy reproduction. PMID: 32869289 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Anatomy - Category: Anatomy Authors: Tags: J Anat Source Type: research