Abstract
The activity of ghrelin, apelin and their receptors has been correlated to the control of some infectious diseases, besides the hypothesis of their role in the control of some peripheral organs, among which ovaries. The aim of the present work was to highlight the presence and distribution of ghrelin, apelin and cognate receptors in the ovaries of pregnant bitches, by means of immunohistochemical techniques. Apelin, its receptor and the receptor of ghrelin were highlighted in the corpora lutea, with a particular localization in the cytoplasm of some luteal cells. Instead, a positive reaction for ghrelin was evident in the walls of small arteries in the connective tissue. These results allowed us to hypothesize that these molecules intervene in the control of ovaries in pregnant bitches, suggesting autocrine/paracrine mechanisms of regulation.