Arginase status in the ewe reproductive system.

Seven healthy and sexually adult ewes were slaughtered. Immediately after slaughter, whole reproductive systems of animals were collected. Different tissues including: corpus luteum, ovary, muscular and mucosal layers of uterine horn, uterine body, cervix, vagina and vestibula were carefully separated and arginase specific activity (ASA) was determined in tissue extract and compared by modified paranitrophenylglyoxal (PNPG) method. The result of this study indicate that although all the tissues contained different amounts of arginase activity, based on the level of ASA, ewe reproductive system may categorized in two groups which have significant difference (P 0.05). The mucosal layer of vagina showed lowest ASA (32.85 IU/mg tissue soluble protein) in the first group and in the second group, mucosal layer of cervix had highest ASA level (85.14 IU/mg tissue protein). Presence of this enzyme at different levels in all parts of ewe reproductive system may be related to different rate of cell proliferation, differentiation or some other unknown physiological and biochemical activities of the enzyme in this system.