A review of the human vs. porcine female genital tract and associated immune system in the perspective of using minipigs as a model of human genital Chlamydia infection

Table 1 Comparison of reproductive-cycle parameters in women, non-human primates, minipigs and mice

	Women (menstrual) [25,87]	Non-humane primates (menstrual) [88,89]	Minipigs (estrous) [11,20,90]	Mice (estrous) [84,91]
Cyclicity	Continuous cycling	Baboons: continuous cycling in captivity Rhesus Macaque: seasonal poly-oestral.	Continuous cycling	Continuous cycling
Age of sexual maturity	12.9 years	3 years	4–6 months	6–8 weeks
Length of cycle	28 days	28–33 days (highly variable)	19–21 days	3–5 days (highly variable)
Follicular/luteal phase	10–14 days/12–15 days	8 days/19 days	5–6 days/15–17 days	2 days/2–3 days
Luteolysis inducer	Ovarian PGF_2α	Ovarian PGF_2α	Uterine PGF_2α	Uterine PGF_2α
Endometrial sloughing/menstruation	Yes	Yes	No	No

ISSN: 1297-9716