1 Introduction [1–3] [4] [5,6] [1] [7] [8] [4] [9] [1,10] [1] [11] [11,12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [16,21] [22] [23] [24] [25] 2 Materials and methods 2.1 Animals and tissue samples All procedures were carried out under license in accordance with the European Community Directive, 86-609-EC. Uteri were collected from 12 multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (mean parity 4.7) following slaughter at day 14 ± 0.4 postpartum. The diameters of both horns were measured approximately 5 cm anterior to the bifurcation of the uterus. Samples of inter-caruncular and caruncular tissue were dissected from the previously gravid and non-gravid uterine horns approximately 1 cm anterior to the bifurcation of the uterus. A 5 cm square region was harvested, wrapped in aluminium foil, and frozen in liquid nitrogen-tempered isopentane. Samples were stored at −80 °C until sectioning. 2.2 In situ in situ [26] ® 35 −1 Table 1 −1 −1 [20] [27] [28] [29] [30] 2.3 Photographic emulsions Table 1 2.4 Optical density measurements http://www.nih.gov [31] 2.5 Statistical analysis t P 3 Results P Figs. 1 and 2 Table 2 Figs. 3 and 4 3.1 Expression of the IGFs and IGF type 1 receptor Figs. 1(A) and 2A Figs. 1(C), (E) and 2C, E P Table 2 P Fig. 3 P Table 2 P Fig. 3 Table 2 Fig. 3 P Table 2 3.2 Expression of IGFBPs Figs. 1(G), (K), (O) and 2G, K, O Figs. 1(I) and 2I Figs. 1(M) and 2M P Table 2 P Fig. 4 P Fig. 4 Table 2 Table 2 P Fig. 4 P Table 2 P Table 2 P Fig. 4 P Table 2 P Table 2 P Fig. 4 4 Discussion [24] [2] [32] [2] [1] in situ [33] [20,34] [12] [35] [36] [14,35] [37,38] [33] [36] [33] [39] [16,21] [22] [40] [40] [41] [5] [42] [33] [43] [33,44] [33,44] [19] in vitro [45] [46] [47] [48] [39] [22] [48] [22] [33] [39] [49,50] [51] [52] [37,39] [53] [54] [44,55] [56] [39] [33] [34] [57] [42] [57,58] [39,59] [39,59] [28] [60] [61] [62,63] [59] [64] [7] [12] [11,65] Conflicts of interest The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that would prejudice the impartiality of this scientific work.