Endometritis in horses is an inflammatory condition of the endometrium, the inner lining of the uterus, often resulting from bacterial infection. It is a significant reproductive disorder that can affect fertility in mares. The condition can be classified as acute or chronic, depending on the duration and severity of the inflammation. Common causative agents include Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus, Escherichia coli, and other opportunistic pathogens. Clinical signs may include abnormal uterine discharge, prolonged estrus, and failure to conceive. Diagnosis typically involves uterine cytology, culture, and biopsy. Treatment strategies often include antimicrobial therapy, uterine lavage, and management of underlying predisposing factors. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnostic methods, and treatment options for endometritis in equine reproductive health.
Hedia M, Ibrahim S, Mahmoud K, Ahmed Y, Ismail S, El-Belely M.Apparently healthy mares with conception failure or embryonic loss may have subclinical endometritis (SE). Our objective was to document evidence of systemic immune responses against SE in mares. In apparently healthy (control) mares as well as those with chronic endometritis (ChE) or subacute suppurative endometritis (SSE), both considered classes of SE, serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF), chemokines (IL-8), acute phase protein (SAA), and plasma concentrations of prostaglandins (PGF and PGE) were measured using validated enzyme linked immunoassays (EIA). Mixed-bre...
Li J, Zhao Y, Gao Y, Zhu Y, Holyoak GR, Zeng S.Bacterial infections are the main causes of endometritis in mares. It is well known that the most common bacterial pathogen is Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (SEZ). This structured review was completed according to the PRISMA procedure to search endometritis treatment protocols published between 1990 and 2020 it was our intent to evaluate the actual effects of different treatment protocols for endometritis caused by SEZ. The trials included were collected from Pubmed, CAB and Agricola. Ten articles with 116 horses and 17 different interventions were identified. The results of this...
Günay Uçmak Z, Kurban I, Uçmak M.Endometritis is a major cause of infertility in mares. The aim of this study is to evaluate the preovulatory follicle (POF) vascularization (A mix, A red, A blue), POF diameter, POF wall thickness, and uterine diameters in mares with or without endometritis. Ten healthy mares and 10 mares with endometritis diagnosed by the combination of transrectal palpation, ultrasonographic examination, and cytology brush were enrolled in the study. Data of the groups obtained at 2 days before the ovulation (day -2) were compared with Student's t-test. Correlations of the parameters were determined by the ...
Caissie MD, Gartley CJ, Scholtz EL, Hewson J, Johnson R, Chenier T.Persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) is a major cause of infertility in mares. Endometrial inflammation that persists until embryonic descent ultimately results in early embryonic death. A poor endometrial biopsy grade (IIb or III) has been identified as a risk factor for PBIE. Intrauterine fluid accumulation (>2 cm in depth), pathologic endometrial edema, and elevated intrauterine neutrophil levels are all clinical features of PBIE. Commonly applied treatment options include uterine lavage and oxytocin therapy. N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), a mucolytic used to treat bacterial endome...
Marcos R, Ribeiro T, Santos M, Correia-Gomes C, Macedo S, Guimarães T, Blielbernicht M, Caniatti M, Rocha A.Uterine lavage (UL) is a routine diagnostic procedure for endometritis. In UL the fluid is centrifuged and the sediment smeared. Samples prepared in cytocentrifuges, the so-called "cytospins", are useful for evaluating cells in fluids, but never been used in UL. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of cytospins after UL, comparing automatic versus manual cytocentrifuges, and to determine their value for the diagnosis of endometritis. The study was divided in two parts. Firstly, UL was performed in 16 mares and a small part of the retrieved fluid was cytocentrifuged in an automati...
Chiba A, Ujiie Y, Aoki T.While intrauterine fluid (IUF) is observed as mucous in healthy mares during estrus, the presence of IUF during diestrus is an indicator of endometritis. Mating induces endometrial inflammation in healthy mares, called mating-induced endometritis, that disappears within 1-2 days after mating. On the other hand, it is also known that IUF remaining beyond 12 hr after mating can cause persistent inflammation, bacterial growth, and decreased fertility. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the presence of IUF and cervical bacteria before and after mating. Mares were classified i...
Swift LA, Christensen BW, Samocha MB, le Jeune SS, Millares-Ramirez EM, Dujovne GA.Although exercise and acupuncture are frequently used therapies to treat persistent postbreeding endometritis, their efficacy to date is unproven. The objective of this study was to determine if exercise and acupuncture are effective methods to reduce intrauterine fluid and compare the effectiveness of these treatments to the use of uterine ecbolics. Twelve mares susceptible to postbreeding endometritis were enrolled in the study with a randomized cross-over design using both positive and negative controls. During each estrous cycle, mares were randomized into one of six treatment groups, incl...
Długołęcka E, Tobolski D, Janowski T.Early embryonic death (EED) is one of the causes of infertility in the mare. We compared endometrial environment in 9 mares with EED and 13 mares in diestrus phase. Cotton swab (CS), cytobrush (CB) and uterine biopsy (B) samples were obtained for the cytological, bacteriological and histopathological examinations. In the first step we compared CS and CB methods to biopsy as a reference method, as B revealed the highest number of positive results in cytological and bacteriological examinations in both groups. In turn, we also compared cytological, bacteriological and histopathological findings ...
Friso AM, Segabinazzi LGTM, Cyrino M, Correal SB, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Teoro do Carmo M, Dell'Aqua JA, Miró J, Papa FO, Alvarenga MA.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammation. However, negative effects of non-selective NSAIDs for treatment of mares with endometritis have been described, including delayed uterine clearance and impairment of ovulations. Firocoxib is a specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and has the ability to act in the uterus of mares. We investigated the effects of firocoxib on ovulation rate, numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and COX-2 protein levels in the endometrial tissue of susceptible mares after insemination. Two ...
Siemieniuch MJ, Kozdrowski R, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Raś A, Nowak M.Endometritis is one of the most important causes of infertility in mares. Mares may suffer from endometritis outside the breeding season; however, pathological condition is often undiagnosed in anestrus. The aim of this study was to examine whether the secretion profiles of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and a metabolite of prostacyclin I2 (6-keto-PGF1α) differ in endometrial tissue cultures of heavy draft mares in anestrus with endometritis compared to those without endometritis. The endometrial biopsies were collected from 51 heavy draft mares. Inclusion criteria for ...
Rua MAS, Quirino CR, Ribeiro RB, Carvalho ECQ, Bernadino MLA, Bartholazzi Junior A, Cipagalta LF, Barreto MAP.Uterine illnesses are the major problem in horse reproductive programs. The diagnosis of these pathologies is often neglected or does not provide enough information about the cause. The aim of this study was to evaluate different diagnoses to provide more accurate information about endometritis and the real endometrial profile at the beginning of a breeding season. Fifty-one mares with reproductive failure were evaluated. Two different uterine cytology diagnoses, culture of uterine flush material and biopsy assay, were performed. The data were analyzed by the Chi-squared test to compare differ...
Siemieniuch MJ, Gajos K, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M.Even if mares continue to breed up to an advanced age, in aging mares reproductive failure is quite common. Subclinical endometritis, which occurs more often in aging mares than in younger counterparts, may cause prolongation or shortening of the inter-estrus period or the corpus luteum lifespan. We hypothesized that during subclinical endometritis the secretion of selected arachidonic acid metabolites may differ in aging mares compared to younger females. To verify this thesis, ex vivo organ cultures of endometrium were established with subsequent measurements of concentrations of prostaglan...
Scoggin CF.Endometritis is characterized by inflammation of the endometrial lining of the uterus and is a leading cause of subfertility in broodmares. When traditional therapies fall short, nonconventional means can be used either to supplement or in lieu of customary practices to manage endometritis. This article reviews alternative therapies available for use in broodmare practice and provides anecdotal and scientific evidence supporting their use.
Sikora M, Król J, Nowak M, Stefaniak T, Aubertsson G, Kozdrowski R.Endometritis is a common problem in a broodmare practice, often leading to infertility. The diagnosis is based on several methods such as cytology, bacteriology and histopathology; however the outcome of these methods may be inconclusive even when used together. The objectives of this study were: (1) to investigate the usefulness of acute phase proteins as an additional diagnostic tool for diagnosis of subclinical endometritis in mares and (2) to evaluate the association between macroscopic changes in uterine flushes and inflammation of the uterus. Materials were collected from 53 Icelandic ma...
Ferris RA, McCue PM, Borlee GI, Loncar KD, Hennet ML, Borlee BR.In this study, we evaluated the ability of the equine clinical treatments N-acetylcysteine, EDTA, and hydrogen peroxide to disrupt in vitro biofilms and kill equine reproductive pathogens (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, or Klebsiella pneumoniae) isolated from clinical cases. N-acetylcysteine (3.3%) decreased biofilm biomass and killed bacteria within the biofilms of E. coli isolates. The CFU of recoverable P. aeruginosa and K. pneumoniae isolates were decreased, but the biofilm biomass was unchanged. Exposure to hydrogen peroxide (1%) decreased the biofilm biomass and reduced the CF...
Petersen MR, Skive B, Christoffersen M, Lu K, Nielsen JM, Troedsson MH, Bojesen AM.Endometritis in horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus) may be underdiagnosed due to traditional diagnostic methods lacking sensitivity and specificity. We serendipitously identified a bacterial growth medium (bActivate) that appeared capable of inducing growth of dormant S. zooepidemicus, which subsequently allowed detection by standard diagnostics. To assess the effect of bActivate we compared its ability to activate dormant S. zooepidemicus in a group of potentially infected subfertile mares with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). All mares had to test ...
Woodward EM, Troedsson MH.Transient post breeding endometritis is a normal physiological reaction in the mare, as it is believed that an inflammatory response is necessary for the effective removal of contaminating bacteria and excess spermatozoa introduced into the uterus. While most mares can clear endometritis within a reasonable amount of time, persistent endometritis caused by either bacteria or spermatozoa can threaten the success of a pregnancy. A subpopulation of mares is susceptible to persistent endometritis, and these mares are a concern in equine reproductive medicine. Research has identified several factor...
Christoffersen M, Brandis L, Samuelsson J, Bojesen AM, Troedsson MH, Petersen MR.Endometritis constitutes a major problem in the management of broodmares; hence, diagnostic tests with a high sensitivity and specificity are highly appreciated. The aim of this study was to compare the results from endometrial, cytologic, and bacteriologic examinations obtained by a newly developed, double-guarded, flushing technique versus standard diagnostic tests, the double-guarded swab and biopsy. The described double-guarded flush technique requires the use of a disposable uterine flushing tube, a sanitary sleeve, a sterile steel speculum, and a 250 mL fluid bag. Endometrial biopsies, s...
Pyörälä S, Taponen J, Katila T.Use of antimicrobials for veterinary indications related to reproduction in cattle and horses is reviewed. Antimicrobial compounds are widely used to treat and prevent infections of reproductive organs. Total amounts of antimicrobials for such purposes, estimated by weight, are low compared with major uses in food animals. The most common reproduction-related indication in cattle is mastitis. The number of intramammary products available for treatment of mastitis in the European Union is high. Metritis and endometritis also require antimicrobial treatment of cattle and specific products for in...
Buczkowska J, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M, Raś A, Staroniewicz Z, Siemieniuch MJ.Endometritis is a major cause of infertility in the mare. Therefore, the diagnosis of this disease is very important in veterinary practice. The objective of this study was to compare bacteriological and cytological results obtained from the mare uterus using biopsy (EB) and cytobrush (CB) techniques and relating these findings to the presence of polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) in endometrial tissue as the gold standard for detection of endometritis. In particular, we tested the hypothesis that endometrial cytology and microbiology data obtained from material collected using the EB and CB techn...
Ferris RA, Frisbie DD, McCue PM.Current treatments for Persistent mating-induced endometritis such as uterine lavage and oxytocin therapy focus on aiding the uterus in removal of inflammatory products, but these treatments do not modulate the inciting inflammatory response. Biological treatments, such as autologous conditioned serum (ACS) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), have been used in human and veterinary medicine for immunomodulation for over 10 years. The objectives of this project were to evaluate the ability of ACS or MSCs to modulate the inflammatory response to spermatozoa after breeding. Two experiments were pe...
Tuppits U, Orro T, Einarsson S, Kask K, Kavak A.The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of measuring blood concentrations of serum amyloid A (SAA), haptoglobin (Hp) and fibrinogen (Fib) in horse reproductive management, and changes in response to artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed semen. Standardbred mares (n=18) with different reproductive status (eight healthy mares in first postpartum oestrus, five healthy barren mares and five mares with endometritis) were inseminated with frozen-thawed semen. Endometritis was evaluated during oestrus by bacteriological culture, cytology and presence of ultrasonicall...
Parrilla-Hernandez S, Ponthier J, Franck TY, Serteyn DD, Deleuze SC.Intraluminal fluid and excessive abnormal hyperedema are regularly used for the diagnosis of endometritis in the mare, which is routinely confirmed by the presence of neutrophils on endometrial smears. Studies show a relation between neutrophils and myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme contained in and released by neutrophils during degranulation or after cell lysis. This enzyme has been found in many fluids and tissues, and associated with different inflammatory pathologies in the horse. The aims of this study were to assess the presence and concentration of MPO in the equine uterus, and to inves...
Rasmussen CD, Haugaard MM, Petersen MR, Nielsen JM, Pedersen HG, Bojesen AM.Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus is the pathogen most commonly isolated from the uterus of mares. S. zooepidemicus is an opportunistic pathogen and part of the resident flora in the caudal reproductive tract. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a genotypically distinct subpopulation of S. zooepidemicus is associated with endometritis in the mare, by genotyping and comparing uterine S. zooepidemicus strains with isolates from the vagina and clitoral fossa. Mares with (n=18) or without (n=11) clinical symptoms of endometritis were included. Uterine samples were obtained using...
Woodward EM, Christoffersen M, Campos J, Horohov DW, Scoggin KE, Squires E, Troedsson MH.The first objective of this study was to evaluate intrauterine nitric oxide (NO) and endometrial inducible NO synthase (iNOS) in mares susceptible or resistant to persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) within 24 h after breeding. Mares susceptible (n = 6) or resistant (n = 6) to PBIE were inseminated over five cycles, and uterine secretions and endometrial biopsies were collected before and 2, 6, 12 and 24 h after insemination. Uterine secretions were analysed for NO and biopsies were analyzed for iNOS expression. A second experiment evaluated the effect of treatment with dexame...
Bucca S, Carli A.Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and dexamethasone have a role in the reproductive management protocols of mares susceptible to persistent mating-induced endometritis (PMIE). However, it is possible that there is interference between these 2 drugs. Objective: The objective of this retrospective study was to determine the efficacy of hCG to induce ovulation in mares treated with dexamethasone at breeding time. Methods: Medical records from 152 mares and 223 cycles were analysed. In 113 cycles, mares susceptible to PMIE were treated with 1500 iu hCG and a single dose of 50 mg dexamethasone, 11...
Ferrer MS, Lyle SK, Paccamonti DL, Eilts BE, Hosgood G, Godke RA.Low-dose insemination has been proposed to reduce persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) in mares with delayed uterine clearance (DUC). Others proposed that hysteroscopic insemination induces an exaggerated inflammatory response and should be avoided in DUC mares. The objectives here were to evaluate presence and severity of PBIE in normal and DUC mares after hysteroscopic insemination with fresh semen, and to determine if hysteroscopy could be used in DUC mares without inducing excessive inflammation. Reproductively normal (n = 4) and DUC (n = 5) mares received four treatments in ran...
Allen JL, Begg AP, Browning GF.Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen that has been recognized as a cause of endometritis in mares. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was used to characterize and compare isolates of P. aeruginosa from an outbreak of endometritis and unrelated isolates collected at the same time as the outbreak. The restriction endonuclease digestion patterns and antimicrobial resistance profiles of all outbreak isolates were identical. Therefore, a single strain of P. aeruginosa was responsible for the cases of endometritis. The unrelated isolates could be distinguished from the outbreak strain u...
Cocchia N, Paciello O, Auletta L, Uccello V, Silvestro L, Mallardo K, Paraggio G, Pasolini MP.Endometritis is the most important cause of infertility in barren mares. The quick method of endometrial cytology (EC) has a relatively high reliability in diagnosing endometrial inflammation in the mare. For reliable cytological results, a collection technique that yields many well-preserved cells representative of a large uterine surface area without causing harm to the reproductive tract is required. The aim of the study was to compare three usually employed techniques for collection of endometrial and inflammatory cells (guarded cotton swab, uterine lavage, and cytobrush) in chronically in...
Casagrande Proietti P, Bietta A, Coppola G, Felicetti M, Cook RF, Coletti M, Marenzoni ML, Passamonti F.The objective of this manuscript was to validate published PCR-based methods for detection of β-haemolytic Streptococci by comparison with established bacteriological techniques using 85 clinical isolates recovered from uterine swabs of mares with clinical signs of endometritis and to determine the distribution of SeeL/SeeM and SzeL/SzeM superantigens in isolates of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) and S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus). The conventional bacteriological techniques showed the vast majority of these isolates (78) were S. zooepidemicus with just 5 Streptococ...
Ibrahim S, Hedia M, Taqi MO, Derbala MK, Mahmoud KGM, Ahmed Y, Sosa AS, Saber YHA, Hasanain MH, Nawito MF, Seidel GE.Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are a promising biomarker and play a vital role in cell-cell communication. This study aimed (I) to identify and characterize EVs from low volume uterine lavage (LVL) and serum in mares with endometritis, compared to healthy controls and (II) to measure serum levels of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF and PGE). Mares were divided into 30 sub-fertile (endometritis) and 20 fertile (controls). Serum and LVL was collected for EV isolation, and determination of serum levels of inflammatory mediators. Characterization and visualization of EVs were done by el...
Yaralioglu-Gurgoze S, Cetin H, Cen O, Yilmaz S, Atli MO.Endometritis is an important factor in infertility. Free radicals play an important role in endometritis and we have investigated their possible role and scavenging systems in endometritis in purebred Arabian mares. The plasma concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) and erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were compared in healthy mares and in mares with endometritis. The level of MDA was significantly increased while GPx activity was decreased in the mares with endometritis. Our findings support the notion that GPx is consumed by increased lipid peroxidation in purebred Arabian ma...
Rua MAS, Quirino CR, Ribeiro RB, Carvalho ECQ, Bernadino MLA, Bartholazzi Junior A, Cipagalta LF, Barreto MAP.Uterine illnesses are the major problem in horse reproductive programs. The diagnosis of these pathologies is often neglected or does not provide enough information about the cause. The aim of this study was to evaluate different diagnoses to provide more accurate information about endometritis and the real endometrial profile at the beginning of a breeding season. Fifty-one mares with reproductive failure were evaluated. Two different uterine cytology diagnoses, culture of uterine flush material and biopsy assay, were performed. The data were analyzed by the Chi-squared test to compare differ...
Ball BA.Fertilization rates were similar for normal and subfertile mares, and much of the difference in fertility between normal and subfertile mares was due to embryonic loss. Fertilization rate estimates for mares ranged from 71 to 96 per cent. The incidence of embryonic loss detected by ultrasonography between Days 11 and 50 was approximately 9 per cent for normal mares, and the estimated incidence of embryonic loss before Day 14 was also 9 per cent. Therefore, the estimated incidence of embryonic loss in normal mares between fertilization and Day 50 is approximately 18 per cent (Fig. 1). In subfer...
Morrell JM, Rocha A.One of the most commonly encountered challenges in equine breeding is endometritis, which can be difficult to resolve and causes considerable economic losses to the industry. It is a multifactorial condition, developing as an exaggerated form of the normal physiological response to breeding. Seminal plasma proteins, spermatozoa, bacteria and debris initiate an inflammatory response; the resulting fluid and neutrophils are then cleared from the uterus along with the debris. However, in some mares, the response is prolonged or exaggerated, with much fluid formation and neutrophil infiltration le...
Reilas T, Katila T, Mäkelä O, Huhtinen M, Koskinen E.Intrauterine fluid (IUF) was collected using a tampon from mid-oestrous mares (n = 57) with and without ultrasonically detectable accumulations of free intraluminal fluid. Bacteria were cultured and neutrophils counted from all samples (n = 57). Total protein concentration, trypsin-inhibitor capacity (TIC), and plasmin, beta-glucuronidase (B-Gase) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) activities were determined in 27 IUF samples. The motility of spermatozoa in the presence of IUF, IUF extended with Kenney's medium (1:1) and Kenney's medium alone was analysed in 9 samples using a Hamilto...
Lisboa FP, Silvestre WP, Castro JO, Martins GV, Segabinazzi LGTM, Pauletti GF, Dell'Aqua JA.This study aimed to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of essential oils (EO) from Ocimum basilicum (basil), Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary), and Cymbopogon citratus (lemongrass) on endometritis-causing microorganisms in mares. Serial concentrations of the EO from 30.00 mg/mL to 0.47 mg/mL were tested. The major compounds of O. basilicum EO were linalyl acetate (33.32 wt.%) and citronellal (25.06 wt.%); of R. officinalis EO were borneol (26.48 wt.%), trans-β-ocimene (16.76 wt.%), camphene (12.45 wt.%), and α-phellandrene (11.08 wt.%); and of C. citratus EO were geranial (45.96 ...
Parrilla-Hernandez S, Ponthier J, Franck TY, Serteyn DD, Deleuze SC.Intraluminal fluid and excessive abnormal hyperedema are regularly used for the diagnosis of endometritis in the mare, which is routinely confirmed by the presence of neutrophils on endometrial smears. Studies show a relation between neutrophils and myeloperoxidase (MPO), an enzyme contained in and released by neutrophils during degranulation or after cell lysis. This enzyme has been found in many fluids and tissues, and associated with different inflammatory pathologies in the horse. The aims of this study were to assess the presence and concentration of MPO in the equine uterus, and to inves...
Friso AM, Segabinazzi LGTM, Cyrino M, Correal SB, Freitas-Dell'Aqua CP, Teoro do Carmo M, Dell'Aqua JA, Miró J, Papa FO, Alvarenga MA.Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are a therapeutic option for the treatment of inflammation. However, negative effects of non-selective NSAIDs for treatment of mares with endometritis have been described, including delayed uterine clearance and impairment of ovulations. Firocoxib is a specific cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor and has the ability to act in the uterus of mares. We investigated the effects of firocoxib on ovulation rate, numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), and COX-2 protein levels in the endometrial tissue of susceptible mares after insemination. Two ...
Ibrahim S, Hedia M, Taqi MO, Derbala MK, Mahmoud KGM, Ahmed Y, Ismail S, El-Belely M.So far the intimate link between serum microRNA (miRNA) and uterine inflammation in mares is unknown. We aimed (I) to investigate expression profile of eca-miR-155, eca-miR-223, eca-miR-17, eca-miR-200a, and eca-miR-205 (II) and to measure concentrations of interleukin 6 (IL-6), and prostaglandins (PGF and PGE) in serum of mares with healthy and abnormal uterine status (endometritis). This study was conducted on 80 Arabian mares: young (4-7 years), and old (8-14 years). Mares were divided into 48 sub-fertile (endometritis) and 32 fertile (control) at stud farms. Serum was collected for measuri...
Vanderwall DK, Woods GL.To determine the effect on fertility of large-volume uterine lavage with lactated Ringer's solution (LRS) performed immediately prior to insemination in mares. Methods: Prospective randomized controlled study. Methods: 20 mares. Methods: Control mares (n = 10) were inseminated with 1 billion (estimated before cooling) progressively motile spermatozoa that had been cooled in a passive cooling unit for 24 hours. Mares (n = 10) in the treatment group were inseminated with 1 billion progressively motile spermatozoa (cooled as described for control mares) immediately after uterine lavage with 4 L o...
Silva JA, Castañares M, Mouguelar H, Valenciano JA, Pellegrino MS.Endometritis, the inflammation of the endometrium, is the leading cause of subfertility in mares, and therefore responsible for major economic losses in the horse industry worldwide. It is generally treated with uterine lavages combined with ecbolic agents and local or systemic antibiotics. However, since antibiotic overuse has been associated with antimicrobial resistance in mares with persistent endometritis, new prevention and treatment alternatives are needed. One such alternative could be the use of probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolated from the host. Thanks to their species speci...
Casagrande Proietti P, Bietta A, Coppola G, Felicetti M, Cook RF, Coletti M, Marenzoni ML, Passamonti F.The objective of this manuscript was to validate published PCR-based methods for detection of β-haemolytic Streptococci by comparison with established bacteriological techniques using 85 clinical isolates recovered from uterine swabs of mares with clinical signs of endometritis and to determine the distribution of SeeL/SeeM and SzeL/SzeM superantigens in isolates of Streptococcus equi subsp. equi (S. equi) and S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus). The conventional bacteriological techniques showed the vast majority of these isolates (78) were S. zooepidemicus with just 5 Streptococ...
Hedia M, Ibrahim S, Mahmoud K, Ahmed Y, Ismail S, El-Belely M.Apparently healthy mares with conception failure or embryonic loss may have subclinical endometritis (SE). Our objective was to document evidence of systemic immune responses against SE in mares. In apparently healthy (control) mares as well as those with chronic endometritis (ChE) or subacute suppurative endometritis (SSE), both considered classes of SE, serum concentrations of cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF), chemokines (IL-8), acute phase protein (SAA), and plasma concentrations of prostaglandins (PGF and PGE) were measured using validated enzyme linked immunoassays (EIA). Mixed-bre...
Asbury AC, Hansen PJ.Fourteen mares, 7 susceptible and 7 resistant to bacterial endometritis, were used to provide circulating and uterine-derived neutrophils. Uterine neutrophils were recruited by inoculating cell-free filtrates of Streptococcus zooepidemicus, or control vehicle. Mares were assigned to schedules for collection of neutrophils at oestrus or dioestrus. Phagocytic activity of circulating and uterine cells was evaluated by an assay for chemiluminescence after addition of opsonized streptococci. Chemiluminescence generated by circulating neutrophils was greater (P less than 0.05) for susceptible mares ...
Cheung AT, Liu IK, Walsh EM, Miller ME.The host defense competence of uterine-derived polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) from mares considered resistant (grade I uteri) and susceptible (grade III uteri) to chronic endometritis was evaluated for phagocytic and killing (bactericidal) capacities, using a fluorochrome assay. Peripheral blood PMN from noncategorized mares and from grade I and grade III mares were used as controls. Uterine-derived PMN from mares with grade I uteri were functionally competent for phagocytosis and killing of Candida albicans, whereas uterine-derived PMN from mares with grade III uteri had significantly les...
Zhao Y, Zhu Y, Liu B, Mi J, Li N, Zhao W, Wu R, Holyoak GR, Li J, Liu D, Zeng S, Wang Y.Endometritis is a common reproductive disease in equine animals. No investigation about the bacterial characteristics and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of donkeys with endometritis has thus far been reported. Objective: To determine the common uterine bacterial isolates from donkeys with endometritis and to evaluate their susceptibility to antimicrobials used for the treatment thereof. Methods: Retrospective case-series. Methods: Medical records at an equine clinical diagnostic center were retrospectively reviewed to identify submissions from donkeys with bacterial endometritis between ...
Köhne M, Hegger A, Tönissen A, Heusinger A, Hader C, Görgens A, Sieme H.Antimicrobial-resistant bacteria pose a serious threat to the wellbeing of animals and humans. In equine reproduction, endometritis caused by facultative microbial pathogens is a condition, which is usually treated with antibiotics. Data from Germany on prevalence of facultative pathogenic microorganisms cultured in samples from the equine uterus and the frequency of multi-drug resistant (MDR) bacteria is lacking. The aim of the study was to provide representative numbers for both. Microbiological culture results (n = 28,887) of endometrial samples submitted to a large veterinary diagnostic ...
Del Prete C, Montano C, Cocchia N, de Chiara M, Gasparrini B, Pasolini MP.Defining the optimal therapy for endometritis remains a significant challenge for clinicians. Given the public health threat posed by antibiotic resistance and the inconclusiveness of traditional therapies, regenerative medicine has been proposed as an alternative. The objective of this study was to conduct a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis, to investigate the efficacy of regenerative medicine products in the treatment of both post-breeding persistent and chronic degenerative endometritis (PBIE/CDE) in mares, following the PRISMA guidelines. This research could be a comprehen...
Szeredi L, Tenk M, Schiller I, Révész T.In six healthy mares and 24 mares showing reproductive disorders swab samples were taken from the fossa clitoridis to isolate Taylorella equigenitalis, and from the uterus to isolate mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas and other aerobic bacteria. Swab samples were also taken from the uterus for Chlamydia antigen ELISA and Chlamydia PCR studies. The uterus of 27 mares was examined cytologically, and biopsy samples were taken from the endometrium for histological examinations and for immunohistochemical examinations aimed at the detection of chlamydiae. T. equigenitalis, mycoplasmas, ureaplasmas and chlamy...
Madill S.Functional alterations within the reproductive system and in other supporting systems may limit the reproductive capacity of geriatric patients; however, the age of onset and degree of compromise show wide individual variation. Aging of the hypothalamopituitary-ovarian axis in the mare manifests as delayed entry to the breeding season, prolonged follicular phases, reduced response to ovulation induction, irregular cycles, oocyte defects, increased early embryonic death, and, eventually, persistent anestrus. Aging of the reproductive tract may increase her susceptibility to endometritis, compro...
Katila T, Lock TF, Hoffmann WE, Smith AR.A study was conducted to 1) determine differences in the inflammatory response following bacterial challenge between normal mares and mares with chronic endometritis and 2) to determine if enzyme activity in uterine fluid can be used to evaluate degree of inflammation in the equine uterus. Six normal mares (Group 1) and four mares with chronic endometritis (Group 2) received an intrauterine infusion of beta-hemolytic streptococci on the second day of estrus. Neutrophil concentration as well as lysozyme and alkaline phosphatase activity were determined in uterine secretions obtained by placing ...
Ghallab RS, El-Beskawy M, El-Shereif AA, Rashad AMA, Elbehiry MA.Equine endometritis is one of the most common causes of reproduction failure. To achieve better treatment outcomes, different diagnostic methods should be combined. In the current study, 39 repeat breeder mares were subjected to ultrasonography examination to detect excessive accumulation of intrauterine fluids and an abnormal oedema pattern, which revealed that 61.5% of mares were positive. Combined with endometrial cytology by low-volume uterine flush, 47.7% of smears contain neutrophils (more than 2-3 per HPF X100), and microbial culture. 92.3% of mares were infected with different bacteria...
Siemieniuch MJ, Kozdrowski R, Szóstek-Mioduchowska AZ, Raś A, Nowak M.Endometritis is one of the most important causes of infertility in mares. Mares may suffer from endometritis outside the breeding season; however, pathological condition is often undiagnosed in anestrus. The aim of this study was to examine whether the secretion profiles of prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and a metabolite of prostacyclin I2 (6-keto-PGF1α) differ in endometrial tissue cultures of heavy draft mares in anestrus with endometritis compared to those without endometritis. The endometrial biopsies were collected from 51 heavy draft mares. Inclusion criteria for ...
Madill S, Troedsson MH, Alexander SL, Shand N, Santschi EM, Irvine CH.The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different breeding stimuli on uterine contractility and pituitary oxytocin release in five oestrous mares, in order to design better treatments for mares with defective physical uterine clearance mechanisms. Electrodes and strain gauges were implanted surgically on the uterine myometrium and myometrial activity was monitored with a Grass polygraph. A catheter was placed non-surgically in the intercavernous sinus of each oestrous mare to sample pituitary venous blood and a second catheter was placed in the jugular vein. Continuous sampling ...
Watson ED, Stokes CR, David JS, Bourne FJ, Ricketts SW.Intrauterine infusion of 1 per cent oyster glycogen solution was used to induce acute endometritis in four genitally normal mares. Numbers of viable neutrophils recovered in uterine washings had increased by 1 h after infusion and remained elevated for at least 72 h. There was a significant correlation between numbers of viable neutrophils and total protein concentrations and between prostaglandin (PG)F and PGE2 concentrations in washings. There was also a significant relationship between concentrations of 15-keto-13, 14-dihydro PGF2 alpha in plasma and PGF in washings. Intrauterine concentrat...
Siemieniuch MJ, Gajos K, Kozdrowski R, Nowak M.Even if mares continue to breed up to an advanced age, in aging mares reproductive failure is quite common. Subclinical endometritis, which occurs more often in aging mares than in younger counterparts, may cause prolongation or shortening of the inter-estrus period or the corpus luteum lifespan. We hypothesized that during subclinical endometritis the secretion of selected arachidonic acid metabolites may differ in aging mares compared to younger females. To verify this thesis, ex vivo organ cultures of endometrium were established with subsequent measurements of concentrations of prostaglan...
Lection J, Wagner B, Byron M, Miller A, Rollins A, Chenier T, Cheong SH, Diel de Amorim M.Endometrial biopsy is required to diagnose mares with chronic endometritis and endometrial degenerative fibrosis. An increase in understanding of equine reproductive immunology could be utilised to create less-invasive, time-efficient diagnostic tools especially when evaluating mares for chronic endometritis. Objective: To evaluate inflammatory cytokine and chemokine concentrations in uterine fluid samples collected by low-volume lavage (LVL) as a potential screening diagnostic biomarker for endometritis. Methods: Prospective cross-sectional clinical study. Methods: Forty-six mares underwent a...
