Table 1.

Cytological characteristics of vaginal exfoliation in different estrous cycles.

Estrous cycles	Cytological characteristics
Prophase of estrous	Most of vaginal secretions were enlarged and slightly round with nuclear flattened epithelial cells, with occasional small number of acyclic keratinocytes
Estrous phase	The enlarged epithelial nucleus disappeared, became keratinized squamous desquamation, and accumulated to form a mass, most of which were keratinized cells, with some nuclear epithelial cells, but no white blood cells
Metestrum	There were nuclear epithelial cells, nucleated keratinocytes, and white blood cells
Diestrus	Most of the vaginal secretions are white blood cells with occasional small nuclei of flattened epithelial cells