The origin and development of the hippomanes in the horse and zebra. II. The chemical composition of the foetal fluids and hippomanes
Dickerson, J.W.; Southgate, D.A.; King, J.M.
Journal of Anatomy 101(Pt 2): 285-293
1967
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-8782 PMID: 6040080 Document Number: 5885
Hippomanes from five horse, three Grant's zebra and three Grevy's zebra uteri, together with the allantoic fluid in which they were found, were analysed. Six other samples of horse allantoic fluid were also analysed, making a series from 25 days gestation to parturition. Amniotic fluid from seven horse, one Grant's zebra and one Grevy's zebra uteri have been included in the study. 1. In each species, and at all ages, the hippomanes was a soft tissue containing high concentrations of nitrogen, hexosamine, Ca and P together with smaller, variable concentrations of Na, K and Mg. 2. It increased in size during gestation due to the concentric deposition of material from the allantoic fluid. Differences in the proportion of some amino acids in the hippomanes and the corresponding fluid suggested that its formation was not, however, a simple precipitation process. The insolubility of the hippomanes suggested that it was a denatured mucoprotein complex. 3. At about the time when the hippomanes was first found there was a fivefold rise in the concentration of total N in the allantoic fluid. Before this rise took place, urea, hexosamine and 'free' and 'bound' amino acids accounted for all the total N. The rise in the total N was due to a rise in the concentration of amino acid N and also to that of an undetermined fraction whose concentration increased during subsequent gestation. 4. The amniotic fluid differed in composition from the allantoic fluid and resembled a serum ultrafiltrate.
Document emailed within 1 workday
