Uterine response to inoculation with Streptococcus zooepidemicus organisms, 51Cr-labeled 15-micromoles microspheres, and charcoal was evaluated in 9 mares (4 resistant and 5 susceptible to endometritis) to determine mechanical and cellular clearance rates during the early postovulatory period. Mares were inoculated at estrus prior to ovulation during estrous cycles 1, 3, and 5. Uterine swab specimens for aerobic and anaerobic bacteriologic culture and serum for progesterone determination were obtained on postovulation day 3 during estrous cycle 1, on the day of ovulation during estrous cycle 3, and on postovulation day 5 during estrous cycle 5. Immediately thereafter, the uterus was irrigated with 50 ml of sterile physiologic saline solution containing tracer amounts of 125I-labeled human serum albumin. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was isolated from 10 of 15 (67%) uterine specimens collected from susceptible mares and incubated aerobically. Escherichia coli also was isolated from 2 of the 10 specimens incubated aerobically. Anaerobic bacteriologic culture of specimens from all mares yielded no growth. Chromium-labeled microspheres were recovered twice from 2 susceptible mares, on day 0 and day 5. Charcoal was retained in 5 specimens collected from 3 susceptible mares. Bacteriologic culture of specimens from resistant mares did not yield growth. On day 0, chromium-labeled microspheres and charcoal were recovered once from 1 resistant mare. Mares susceptible to end ometritis accumulated more fluid within the uterine lumen after ovulation than did resistant mares (mean +/- SEM, 52.73 +/- 15.22 ml and 7.41 +/- 1.96 ml, respectively; P less than 0.01). From this study, it appeared that uterine cellular and bactericidal mechanisms are dysfunctional during the early postovulatory period. However, there appeared to be no disruption of the mechanisms responsible for mechanical clearance of materials inoculated in the uterus.

Association between individual cumulative milk yield and various reproductive disorders in 56,772 Finnish Ayrshire cows belonging to 5,912 herds in 80 communities was studied. All cows delivered calves between September 1985 and September 1986. Five logistic regression models were fitted, 1 for each outcome disorder of interest: early metritis, late metritis, silent heat, ovarian cyst, and other infertility. Cumulative individual 37-day milk yield was used in the early metritis model, and cumulative individual 60-day milk yield was used in the other models, on the basis of median days in milk when these disorders developed. Cumulative 305-day herd milk yield, parity, calving season, presence or absence of other disorders, and community were also included in the models. Point estimates from the models represented odds ratios for the likelihood of having the outcome disorder.Lactational incidence risks for the 5 reproductive disorders studied were: early metritis (2.4%), late metritis (1.1%), silent heat (5.4%), ovarian cyst (6.6%), and other infertility (2.1%). The risk of early metritis decreased with increasing 37-day milk yield. The risk of silent heat, ovarian cyst, and other infertility increased with increasing 60-day milk yield; 60-day milk yield had no effect on late metritis. The 305-day herd milk yield increased the risk of early metritis, ovarian cyst, and other infertility; it had no effect on late metritis or silent heat. Parity had an effect on all disorders, except late metritis. Cows that delivered calves during the colder, darker seasons of the year had a higher risk of reproductive disorders than did those that delivered calves at other times of the year. A number of other disorders, reproductive and otherwise, were significant predictors of development of the outcome disorders.

The ability of equine endometrium to release prostaglandin (GH) F, PGE2, and leukotriene (LT) B4 was studied in vitro, using endometrial tissue from diestrous mares. Because of the high cross-reactivity of the PGF antiserum with PGF1alpha and with PGF2alpha, results were quoted as total immunoreactive PGF. Significant concentrations of these arachidonate metabolites were released into tissue culture medium between 1 and 24 hours of incubation. Significantly higher concentrations of PGE, but not of PGE2 or LTB4, were released from endometria of mares with chronic endometritis than from genitally normal mares. Prostaglandin F was released only in low concentrations from the endometrium of a mare with pyometra, but concentrations of PGE2 and LTB4 were similar to those of genitally normal mares.

The objectives of this study were to determine the role of a fall in pre-calving body condition score (BCS) in postpartum metabolic status and reproductive outcomes, and gauge the indicativeness of blood metabolites during the transition period. Cows were grouped based on BCS loss between days −14 ±3 and 0 relative to calving. Cows that lost no BCS were the BCS control group (BCS-C), cows that lost 0.25 BCS points the low BCS loss group (BCS-L), and those that lost 0.5 points or more the high BCS loss (BCS-H) group. Blood was taken on days −14 ±3, 3, 14, and 30 ±4 for determination of comprehensive metabolic panel biomarker levels. Beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) levels were quantified on postpartum examination days. Vaginal discharge scores, ovarian activity on day 30 ±4, and subsequent fertility parameters were evaluated. The BCS-H cows had lower mean Ca concentrations before calving and on day 3, when the group’s BHBA and CK were higher (P < 0.05); on day 14 they had higher AST concentrations (P < 0.05). The BCS-L cows had greater bilirubin levels (P < 0.05). The BCS-H cows had lower cyclicity and higher endometritis rates. First service pregnancy rates were 50%, 50%, and 61.9%, open days 96.8, 95.75, and 89.2, and overall pregnancy rates 56.25%, 65%, and 80.95 % in the BCS-H, BCS-L, and BCS-C groups, respectively. Prepartum BCS loss of ≥ 0.5 points could be associated with Brown Swiss cow low Ca and BHBA concentrations early postpartum, and with subsequent uterine health and overall pregnancy rate. Prepartum Ca concentration might be a prognostic biomarker for postpartum metabolic status and reproductive outcomes.

Introduction: Bovine postpartum metritis causes great losses. Mast cell (MC)-released mediators participate in uterine inflammation and immune response, but their role in postpartum metritis in cows has not been reported. This study investigated the effect of endometrial MC on the disorder.Material and Methods: Ten dairy cows, at 6 to 10 days postpartum and with acute purulent metritis made up the experimental group, and 10 comparable healthy cows the control group. Endometrial histamine and IgE levels were determined by ELISA, and the MC particle state and expression of histamine H₁ (H₁R) and H₂ (H₂R) mRNA receptors were examined by transmission electron microscope and real-time quantitative PCR, respectively.Results: Endometrial histamine and IgE levels were significantly higher in the experimental group. In the control group, homogenously distributed size-varied granules were seen in MC cytoplasm of endometrium of lamina propria. In the experimental group however, these showed degranulation with features of reduction. The level of H₁R mRNA was lower in the experimental group, but that of H₂R mRNA was higher.Conclusion: The results suggest MC type I hypersensitivity characteristics during metritis, and histamine provocation of local inflammation. High expression of H₂R and low expression of H₁R inhibited the inflammatory response and prevented excessive uterine tissue damage.

A total of 22 clinical streptococcal isolates, predominantly Streptococcus zooepidemicus, associated with endometritis in horses were tested for their ability to withstand the natural bactericidal properties of freshly obtained blood. During a 3-hour incubation in blood from a single horse, 8 of these isolates survived and grew; the remainder were killed. To determine whether this ability to grow extended to blood of other horses, 5 of these growing isolates were tested for their ability to grow in the blood of 5 additional horses. The same 5 horses were used for each isolate. The isolates grew in blood of some of the horses, but were killed in blood of the others. However, the horse's blood that mediated killing was different for each isolate. Killing required leukocytes, but the specificity for killing appeared to reside in plasma, although plasma by itself was not bactericidal. Heat-stable and heat-labile components in plasma, interpreted as antibody and complement, respectively, appeared necessary for killing. Isolates that could grow in fresh blood lost this ability after 10 passages in artificial media. Results of these experiments of phagocytosis in fresh blood may provide helpful insights into the phagocytosis of S zooepidemicus in equine uterine f1uid.

Association between individual cumulative milk yield and various reproductive disorders in 56,772 Finnish Ayrshire cows belonging to 5,912 herds in 80 communities was studied. All cows delivered calves between September 1985 and September 1986. Five logistic regression models were fitted, 1 for each outcome disorder of interest: early metritis, late metritis, silent heat, ovarian cyst, and other infertility. Cumulative individual 37-day milk yield was used in the early metritis model, and cumulative individual 60-day milk yield was used in the other models, on the basis of median days in milk when these disorders developed. Cumulative 305-day herd milk yield, parity, calving season, presence or absence of other disorders, and community were also included in the models. Point estimates from the models represented odds ratios for the likelihood of having the outcome disorder.Lactational incidence risks for the 5 reproductive disorders studied were: early metritis (2.4%), late metritis (1.1%), silent heat (5.4%), ovarian cyst (6.6%), and other infertility (2.1%). The risk of early metritis decreased with increasing 37-day milk yield. The risk of silent heat, ovarian cyst, and other infertility increased with increasing 60-day milk yield; 60-day milk yield had no effect on late metritis. The 305-day herd milk yield increased the risk of early metritis, ovarian cyst, and other infertility; it had no effect on late metritis or silent heat. Parity had an effect on all disorders, except late metritis. Cows that delivered calves during the colder, darker seasons of the year had a higher risk of reproductive disorders than did those that delivered calves at other times of the year. A number of other disorders, reproductive and otherwise, were significant predictors of development of the outcome disorders.

This study aimed to monitor oxidative stress parameters including total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) level during the healing process in hair goats with metritis. This study was carried out on a total of 25 hair goats with metritis (n=10; Group 1) and healthy (n=15; Group 2). The beginning of the study was accepted as day 0. In both Group 1 and Group 2, blood samples were collected on days 0 (first measurement day), 14 (second measurement day) and 28 (third measurement day) of the study for TAS, TOS and TNF-α analyzes. In addition, oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated using TAS and TOS values.It was found that TAS level decreased in Group 1 compared to Group 2 at the first measurement day (p<0.05). However, TOS, OSI and TNF-α levels increased in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (p<0.01). At the second measurement day, TOS and OSI values were higher in Group 1 than Group 2 (p<0.05).In conclusion, the antioxidant system weakened, oxidative stress and TNF-α levels increased in animals with metritis compared to healthy animals. However, at the third measurement time, all parameters became similar between groups.

The objectives of the present study were to validate ultra-sonographic examination (US) as a reliable diagnostic tool for endometritis, as well as to determine the effects of intrauterine infusion (IU) of benzathine cephapirin plus systemic PGF2α as a treatment protocol of endometritis in dairy cows. 260 Holstein cows were included in this study. The affected cows were examined rectally and US. The cows were divided according to the diagnostic method and treatment protocol into 3 groups. Group1: rectally diagnosed and received systemic PGF2α. Group2: diagnosed rectally and received IU benzathine cephapirin plus systemic PGF2α. Group3: diagnosed US and received IU benzathine cephapirin plus systemic PGF2α. Good reproductive indices were recorded for cows examined US and treated with combination of IU benzathine cephapirin plus systemic PGF2α. A highly significant positive correlations were observed between days in milking (DIM) and most of tested reproductive indices. Meanwhile, Daily milk yield was negatively correlated with all tested reproductive parameters. In conclusion, transrectal US could be used as a reliable method for early diagnosis of endometritis. In addition, using a combination of IU application of benzathine cephapirin plus systemic PGF2α was superior treatment protocol in endometritis in comparison with PGF2α.

This study quantified the effect of peripartum reproductive disorders and parity on repeat breeder status and involuntary culling of dairy cows. Reproductive data of 418 383 lactations were taken from a computerized databank of health records for dairy cows. A logistic regression model was used with dystocia, retained placenta (RP), metritis complex, and parity as fixed effect risk factors and herd entered as the random effect. Of the peripartum problems studied, dystocia had the greatest effect on future fertility. Dystocia increased the odds of a cow being a repeat breeder by 44% [odds ratio (OR): 1.44; confidence interval (CI): 1.37 to 1.51]. Compared to first-parity cows, cows in second, third, and fourth parities had significantly higher odds of being a repeat breeder: 18% (OR: 1.18; CI: 1.16 to 1.20); 24% (OR: 1.24; CI: 1.21 to 1.26); and 42% (OR: 1.42; CI: 1.39 to 1.45), respectively. The odds for second-, third-, or fourth-parity repeat breeders being culled were 24% (OR: 1.24; CI: 1.20 to 1.28); 39% (OR: 1.39; CI: 1.35 to 1.43); and 67% (OR: 1.67; CI: 1.62 to 1.71) respectively, while peripartum reproductive problems had less of an effect.