glycogen and Endometritis

The occurrence of uterine and oviductal inflammation, and fertilisation rates, were measured on Day 3 post ovulation in inseminated mares that had either exhibited intrauterine lumenal fluid during a previous dioestrus (Experiment 1) or had acute endometritis induced by intrauterine infusion of 1% glycogen (Experiment 2). Endometritis was assessed by uterine cytology and histology whereas oviductal inflammation was measured histologically. Fertilisation rates were calculated from the percentage of cleaved ova recovered by retrograde flushing of the oviducts. Mares with or without pre-existing uterine fluid during dioestrus that were inseminated showed a higher incidence of endometritis than control mares without pre-existing uterine fluid that were not inseminated (n = 7 mares/group). However, inseminated mares with uterine fluid did not show a higher incidence of endometritis than inseminated mares without uterine fluid. Mares with or without pre-existing uterine fluid showed a higher incidence of endometritis than salpingitis and these 2 groups of mares showed equivalent rates of fertilisation and oviductal oocyte recovery. Mares inseminated with semen alone or semen following 1% glycogen treatment had a higher incidence of endometritis than control noninseminated mares (n = 17 mares/group) but mares that received semen plus 1% glycogen did not show a higher incidence of endometritis than mares that received semen alone. Both these groups of mares showed a higher incidence of endometritis than salpingitis and those that received semen plus 1% glycogen showed an equal recovery rate of recently ovulated ova but a lower fertilisation rate than the mares that received semen alone.

Topics: Administration, Intravaginal; Animals; Cohort Studies; Endometritis; Female; Fertilization; Fertilization in Vitro; Glycogen; Horse Diseases; Horses; Incidence; Salpingitis; Semen; Uterus

Acute endometritis was induced in ovariectomized pony mares by infusion of a 1% solution of oyster glycogen. Maximum concentrations of immunoreactive leukotriene B4 in uterine washings coincided with the greatest rate of infiltration of neutrophils into the uterine lumen. Concentrations of immunoreactive leukotriene B4 decreased to basal levels 6 h after infusion and were unaffected by administration of ovarian steroids to ovariectomized mares. Uterine washings from mares with persistent endometritis did not contain significantly different concentrations of leukotriene B4 from genitally normal mares.

Topics: Animals; Endometritis; Female; Glycogen; Horse Diseases; Horses; Leukotriene B4; Ovariectomy; Therapeutic Irrigation; Time Factors; Uterus

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Alkaline Phosphatase; Electron Transport Complex IV; Endometritis; Female; Glycogen; Histocytochemistry; Humans; Neutrophils; Pelvic Inflammatory Disease; Peroxidases; Time Factors

Topics: Acid Phosphatase; Alkaline Phosphatase; Endometritis; Enzyme Activation; Female; Glycogen; Humans; Leukocytes; Peroxidases; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Trimester, Third; Puerperal Disorders