The equine placenta is a simple apposition of fetal and maternal tissues, becoming more complex with the formation of microcotyledons around days 75 and 100 of gestation. The present study aimed to describe the gross and microscopic morphology of early equine placenta. Embryonic/fetal membranes from thirty-seven mares were submitted to macroscopic description, light, scanning and transmission microscopy. Overall the gross characteristics of membranes were similar with already described for older stages. However, transmission electron microscopy evidenced high metabolic rate in chorion and allantois, and high secretion profile in amnion and even higher in yolk sac. Gene ontologies enrichment, using published data, pointed several common ontologies in allantoic and amniotic fluids, related to oxygen and iron transport, extracellular space and high-density lipoprotein receptor binding. Overall, the morphological and ontology enrichment could indicate allantois and amnion crosstalk.
KEY WORDS: Horse; Placental development; Pregnancy.
