Infertility in horses refers to the inability of a mare or stallion to reproduce successfully. This condition can arise from a variety of factors, including anatomical, physiological, genetic, or environmental influences. In mares, infertility may be linked to issues such as ovarian dysfunction, uterine infections, or hormonal imbalances. Stallions may experience infertility due to low sperm quality, testicular abnormalities, or reproductive tract infections. Diagnosing infertility involves a combination of physical examinations, laboratory tests, and imaging techniques to identify underlying causes. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the causes, diagnostic approaches, and management strategies for infertility in equine populations.
Gallardo Bolaños JM, Miró Morán Á, Balao da Silva CM, Morillo Rodríguez A, Plaza Dávila M, Aparicio IM, Tapia JA, Ortega Ferrusola C, Peña FJ.Apoptosis has been recognized as a cause of sperm death during cryopreservation and a cause of infertility in humans, however there is no data on its role in sperm death during conservation in refrigeration; autophagy has not been described to date in mature sperm. We investigated the role of apoptosis and autophagy during cooled storage of stallion spermatozoa. Samples from seven stallions were split; half of the ejaculate was processed by single layer centrifugation, while the other half was extended unprocessed, and stored at 5°C for five days. During the time of storage, sperm motility (C...
Pujar S, Meyers-Wallen VN.Inherited disorders of sexual development (DSD) cause sterility and infertility in horses. Mutations causing such disorders have been identified in other mammals, but there is little information on the molecular causes in horses. While the equine genome sequence has made it possible to identify candidate genes, additional tools are needed to routinely screen them for causative mutations. In this study, we designed a screening panel of polymerase chain reaction primer pairs for 15 equine genes. These are the candidate genes for testicular or ovotesticular XX DSD and XY DSD, the latter of which ...
Lear TL, McGee RB.Abnormalities of sexual development causing infertility in horses have been investigated since the early 1970's. Conventional cytogenetic analysis by karyotyping has been the primary tool used to investigate these horses. Abnormalities have a broad range, from a phenotypically normal mare with gonadal dysgenesis to a horse with ambiguous external genitalia and internal male and female organs. Cytogenetic analysis can determine genetic sex but cannot identify mutations or deletions of genes involved in the sex determination pathway. Molecular technologies have been developed to confirm cytogene...
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...
Singh BR, Gulati BR, Virmani N, Chauhan M.At a thoroughbred equine breeding farm near Hissar (Haryana), three mares aborted in their seventh month of pregnancy. The vaginal swabs of all aborted mares, and stomach contents, heart blood, liver, spleen and placenta of aborted fetuses yielded pure culture of Aeromonas hydrophila. In addition, A. hydrophila was also isolated from the vaginal swabs of three repeat breeding mares and faecal sample of a diarrheic foal. The source of infection was possibly water supply as all the water samples collected from taps, mother tank and storage tank were found to be positive for A. hydrophila. The an...
Villagómez DA, Lear TL, Chenier T, Lee S, McGee RB, Cahill J, Foster RA, Reyes E, St John E, King WA.We described the clinical, cytogenetic and molecular findings of 17 clinical equine cases presented for abnormal sexual development and infertility. Six horses with an enlarged clitoris had an XX, SRY-negative genotype, which displayed male-like behavior (adult individuals). Bilateral ovotestes were noted in 2 of those cases, while another case showed increased levels of circulating testosterone. Six horses with a female phenotype, including normal external genitalia, had an XY, SRY-negative genotype. These individuals had small gonads and an underdeveloped internal reproductive tract. Four ho...
de Lorenzi L, Molteni L, Zannotti M, Galli C, Parma P.This report concerns the cytogenetic analysis, using both C-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridisation techniques, of a sterile mare. Results obtained revealed a 2n = 65, XXX condition with no sign of mosaicism. The work supports the suggestion that X trisomy, rare in horse, causes infertility in mares and is not associated to other clearly visible phenotypic features.
Ferris RA, McCue PM.Persistent mating induced endometritis is among the most common causes of infertility in the mare. Recently, improved pregnancy rates have been reported when corticosteroids were administered to 'problem mares' specifically, to modulate the post mating inflammatory response; however, the effect of treatment on pituitary and ovarian function requires further study. Objective: To evaluate the effects of prolonged treatment with glucocorticoids on pituitary and ovarian function. Methods: Eighteen cycling Quarter Horse mares in early oestrus were assigned randomly to one of 3 treatment groups: dex...
Bugno M, Słota E, Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Schelling C.Fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) using a panel of molecular probes for all chromosome pairs obtained by chromosome microdissection of the domestic horse ( Equus caballus ) was used to diagnose karyotype abnormalities in 35 horses (32 mares, 2 stallions and 1 intersex), which were selected for the study due to infertility (23 horses), reduced fertility (10 horses) and developmental anomalies (2 horses). The use of the FISH technique with probes for each horse chromosome pair enabled the diagnosis of many different chromosome aberrations in this population. Among the horses analysed, 21 ...
Brito LF, Kelleman A, Greene LM, Raz T, Barth AD.A 5-year-old Arabian stallion was managed for breeding with fresh/extended semen during a period of 8 months with a resulting per cycle pregnancy rate of 26.3%. The stallion was in good health and no abnormalities of the reproductive tract were observed. Evaluation of several ejaculates revealed that sperm production and semen quality were mostly unchanged during the period of evaluation, that sperm production was normal and that semen quality was extremely poor. The most prevalent sperm defects were abnormal heads and mid-pieces. Most abnormal heads were microcephalic and/or tapered and consi...
Raz T, Gray A, Hunter B, Card C.Superovulatory treatment may potentially increase the embryo recovery rate and the per-cycle pregnancy rate in normal or subfertile mares that are managed properly. However, some studies suggest a possible negative effect of superovulatory treatment on ovarian follicular maturation and embryo viability. Objectives of the present study were to investigate the early effects of eFSH treatment in reproductively normal mares in terms of: folliculogenesis, pregnancy rate, early embryonic development, reproductive tract parameters (tone and edema), and serum estradiol-17beta and progesterone concentr...
Cuervo-Arango J, Newcombe JR.Haemorrhage into the dominant follicle during the reproductive season is a subtle but definitive cause of infertility in the mare population. This condition however can be of high relevance for an individual in which its incidence is abnormally high. Little is known about the nature and factors affecting the incidence of haemorrhagic anovulatory follicles (HAFs) in the mare. The objectives of the study were to define and characterize the ultrasonographic development and incidence of HAFs and to investigate possible risk factors influencing its occurrence. Detailed reproductive and ultrasound r...
Schofield WA.The goal of this review is to provide evidence supporting the physiologic basis for the use of acupuncture as a treatment in equine reproduction, and to discuss current uses of acupuncture for the treatment of anestrus, urine pooling, uterine infection and/or fluid, infertility, maintenance of pregnancy, cryptorchidism, musculoskeletal pain, and poor libido in stallions. The benefits achieved through acupuncture treatment are thought to be a result of hormonal regulation, altered smooth muscle motility, and general stress and/or pain relief from musculoskeletal or environmental conditions.
Coutinho da Silva MA.The use of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) has helped owners to produce offspring from valuable mares that were considered infertile using standard breeding techniques. Before referring a mare for an ART, the practitioner should be able to identify the underlying cause of subfertility of the mare. The objective of this review is to provide information regarding embryo transfer, oocyte transfer and intracytoplasmic sperm injection, the three most common ART used in equine practice. Knowing the complexity as well as the risks of these techniques, enables practitioners to refer a subfertil...
Leblanc MM.Most equine infertility cases can be solved with a methodical, thorough physical and reproductive examination and appropriate diagnostic laboratory aids. Repeated examinations may be needed in some cases to identify subtle anatomical abnormalities or irregularities between hormonal and physiological relationships of the reproductive tract. For pregnancy to occur, hormonal signaling must be exquisitely synchronized with physical changes of the reproductive tract and deposition of fertile semen in the uterus. Asynchrony of these events, infection, inflammation, previous trauma to the reproductiv...
Hejmej A, Bilińska B.Evidence collected over the years has demonstrated that cryptorchidism is associated with a defect in spermatogenesis and, as a consequence, with either reduced fertility or infertility. However, the effect of cryptorchidism on Leydig cell function is less clear. The aim of our study therefore was to investigate the regulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis and, additionally, intercellular communication in the cryptorchid equine testes. Methods: Testes of mature bilaterally cryptorchid horse and healthy stallions were used for this study. The expression of luteinising hormone receptor (LHR), ...
Lear TL, Bailey E.Cytogenetic analyses of horses have benefited the horse industry by identifying chromosomal aberrations causing congenital abnormalities, embryonic loss and infertility. Technical advances in cytogenetics enabled the identification of chromosome specific aberrations. More recently, advances in genomic tools have been used to more precisely define chromosome abnormalities. In this report we review the history of equine clinical cytogenetics, identify historical landmarks for equine clinical cytogenetics, discuss how the current use of genomic tools has benefited this area, and how future genomi...
Lear TL, Lundquist J, Zent WW, Fishback WD, Clark A.Repeated early embryonic loss (REEL) represents a considerable economic loss to the horse industry. Mares that experience REEL may be overlooked as potential carriers of a chromosome abnormality. Here we report three different autosomal translocations in Thoroughbred mares presented for chromosome analysis because of REEL. The karyotypes were 64,XX,t(1;21), 64,XX,t(16;22), and 64,XX,t(4;13), respectively. In order to confirm the chromosomes involved in the translocations, to map the breakpoints, and to determine if the translocations were reciprocal, genes surrounding the breakpoints were iden...
Nash D, Lane E, Herath S, Sheldon IM.Endometritis after insemination is ubiquitous in the horse and is associated with semen and/or bacteria in the uterus. In up to 40% of horses, inflammation persists causing infertility. An endometrial explant culture was developed to study uterine secretion of prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) in response to physiological and pathological challenge. Methods: Uteri were collected from mares, the endometrium dissected and explants from the uterine body or horn cultured in William's or RPMI medium. The response of explants to oxytocin, semen or bacteria compared to untreated tissue was tested...
Carnevale EM.Reproductive aging and assisted reproduction are becoming progressively more relevant in human medicine. Research with human subjects is limited in many aspects, and consequently animal models may have considerable utility. Such models have provided insight into follicular function, oocyte maturation, and reproductive aging. However, models are often selected based on factors other than physiological or functional similarities. Although the mare has received limited attention as a model for reproduction in women, comparisons between these species indicate that the mare has many attributes of a...
Bugno M, Słota E.A 5-year-old infertile Hutsul mare was subjected to cytogenetic analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using the equine Xp and Xq chromosome painting probes was carried out on chromosome preparations obtained after blood lymphocyte culture. These probes were generated by chromosome microdissection and a large number of spreads was analysed (525). The karyotype formula of the analysed mare was 64,XX/65,XX+Xp with the ratio of the two lines being 99.4 and 0.6, respectively. The goal of the study was to apply chromosome microdissection and the FISH technique for cytogenetic diagnosti...
Brown JA, Hodder AD, Benak J, Liu IK, Ball BA.Two American Paint Horses, a 3-year-old nulliparous mare and a 7-year-old primiparous mare, presented for recent infertility and a pre-breeding examination, respectively. Examination of the internal reproductive tract of both mares using transrectal palpation and ultrasonography revealed the presence of the cervix, uterine body, left uterine horn and bilateral ovaries. The right uterine horn could neither be palpated nor imaged. The clinical diagnosis of uterus unicornis in one mare was confirmed at necropsy, which revealed combined aplasia of the right uterine horn and oviduct.
Bugno M, Słota E, Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Schelling C.An infertile mare with hypoplastic ovaries was subjected to cytogenetic analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using the equine X whole chromosome painting probe (WCPP) was carried out on a chromosome preparation obtained from blood lymphocyte culture. The number of analysed spreads was high (235) and in the X chromosome aneuploidy in mosaic form was diagnosed. The karyotype formula was 63,X / 64,XX / 65,XXX. The ratio of the three lines was 15%, 82% and 3%, respectively. The application of the FISH technique with WCPP is discussed.
LeBlanc MM, Magsig J, Stromberg AJ.Low-volume uterine flush (n=401) was performed in 308 infertile mares to diagnose endometritis. Mares evaluated were either barren after three or more breedings or had two or more unsuccessful embryo recovery attempts during consecutive cycles. Culture results were compared with cytological and histological findings, efflux clarity and pH to substantiate that the micro-organisms recovered were truly pathogens. Cytological specimens were evaluated for presence of epithelial and inflammatory cells, bacteria, yeast and debris. Endometrial biopsies (n=110) were examined for the presence of neutrop...
Causey RC.Uterine infections are a major cause of infertility, but the role of mucus in equine uterine defense is not well understood. Mucociliary currents play an important role in protecting mucous membranes, including the upper and lower respiratory tracts of mammals, and are required for feeding and oxygenation of many aquatic invertebrates. Although phagocytosis has long been considered the first line of uterine defense in the mare, there are concerns about its efficacy in the uterine lumen. Additional local defenses, such as mucociliary currents, have therefore been proposed. The uterine epitheliu...
Troedsson MH.Endometritis is a common cause of infertility in broodmares. In the past, the condition was believed to be exclusively the result of bacterial contamination of the uterus. Treatment strategies were focused on preventing bacteria from entering the uterus and on treating mares with signs of endometritis with antibiotics. More recent research on uterine defense mechanisms has increased our understanding of the pathophysiology of equine endometritis. Additional causative agents have been identified, and we have learned to separate uterine infections and a physiologic breeding-induced endometritis ...
Baczynska A, Fedder J, Schougaard H, Christiansen G.The reproduction rate of horses is one of the lowest within domestic livestock despite advances the veterinary medicine. Infertility in horses may be due mainly to the lack of suitable selection criteria in the breeding of horses. However, acquired infertility due to genital, bacterial infections may occur. Mycoplasmas have been implicated in genital disorders and infertility of many species including humans and horses. However, their role as commensals or pathogens of the genital tract of horses is still not determined. Bacteriological examinations made on the fossa glandis, urethra, penis an...
Allen WR, Wilsher S, Morris L, Crowhurst JS, Hillyer MH, Neal HN.Mares are occasionally encountered that consistently fail to conceive when inseminated, naturally or artificially, with fertile stallion semen in the absence of any identifiable pathology of either the structure or function of their reproductive tract. Objective: Temporary blockage of the oviducts by accumulations of naturally occurring oviducal masses may be preventing oviducal transport of the embryo to the uterus. Methods: Mares, with known reproductive histories, that had exhibited inexplicable failure of conception were treated by laparoscopically guided administration of PGE2-laced triac...
Samper JC, Tibary A.Bacterial, viral and protozoal infections may cause severe reproductive losses. The present paper reviews the risk factors, clinical signs and preventive measures for the most important venereal or potential sexually transmitted diseases in horses. The stallion and use of semen for artificial insemination represent major risk factors for the transmission of bacterial contaminants of the penis, including Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae, known to cause endometritis and infertility in the mare. The role of the stallion in disease trans...
Szczerbal I, Nowacka-Woszuk J, Kopp-Kuhlman C, Mackowski M, Switonski M.X monosomy is the most common disorder of sex development in horses. Although cytogenetic analysis is still the gold standard in the diagnosis of equine X monosomy, novel molecular techniques are being sought to quickly and reliably detect this chromosome abnormality. Objective: The goal of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of a novel variant of the PCR technique-namely, droplet digital PCR (ddPCR)-in the detection of X monosomy in mares. Methods: A proof of concept of the usefulness of ddPCR in diagnosing an abnormal number of X chromosomes in mares. Methods: We examined an infertile ...
Mitchell G, Liu IK, Perryman LE, Stabenfeldt GH, Hughes JP.Immunoglobulin concentrations were compared in serum and in saline uterine washings from 10 normal mares and 7 subfertile mares with chronic endometrial pathology. Samples were collected in dioestrus and in oestrus. For each immunoglobulin class (IgA, IgG, IgG(T), IgM) the results were expressed as a percentage of total immunoglobulin present in uterine washings or serum. Comparison was also made between changes in immunoglobulin concentrations between dioestrous and oestrous uterine samples, and uterine immunoglobulin concentrations between groups of mares. There was significantly more IgA in...
Satué K, Fazio E, Ferlazzo A, Medica P.The aim of this study was to verify the existence of possible cross-talk between biochemical contents of follicular fluid (FF) and systemic concentrations according to the follicular development of the metabolites: glucose (GLU), lactate (LACT), cholesterol (CHOL), triglycerides (TG), total bilirubin (T BIL), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and creatinine (CREAT); enzymatic activities: gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST); electrolytes: calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), sodium (Na), chloride (Cl), potassium (K), ...
Franciosi F, Tessaro I, Dalbies-Tran R, Douet C, Reigner F, Deleuze S, Papillier P, Miclea I, Lodde V, Luciano AM, Goudet G.The field of assisted reproduction has been developed to treat infertility in women, companion animals, and endangered species. In the horse, assisted reproduction also allows for the production of embryos from high performers without interrupting their sports career and contributes to an increase in the number of foals from mares of high genetic value. The present manuscript describes the procedures used for collecting immature and mature oocytes from horse ovaries using ovum pick-up (OPU). These oocytes were then used to investigate the incidence of aneuploidy by adapting a protocol previous...
Lüttgenau J, Imboden I, Wellnitz O, Romer R, Scaravaggi I, Neves AP, Borel N, Bruckmaier RM, Janett F, Bollwein H.Persistent breeding-induced endometritis (PBIE) is a leading cause of infertility in mares. The objective of the study was to assess genital perfusion and endometrial gene expression of inflammatory cytokines in mares classified as susceptible (n = 5) or resistant (n = 5) to PBIE. Ten mares were examined daily during estrus until 6 d after hCG-induced ovulation for two estrous cycles. Twenty-four hours after application of 1500 IU hCG, 4 mL of killed (by repeated freezing in liquid nitrogen and thawing at 50 °C) deep-frozen semen or sterile saline was instilled into the uterine body an...
Turner RM, Zeng W.Studies in laboratory rodents are shedding light on the pathophysiology of testicular ageing and now suggest a complicated basis for age-related declines in testicular function. A highly significant contributor to infertility may involve failure of specific and complex testicular microenvironments (niches) comprised of a variety of cellular and molecular components. Our laboratory has applied testis tissue xenografting to the study of testicular ageing in the stallion. Using this technique, we have confirmed that the disease is tissue autologous. As would be expected from a tissue autologous d...
Blöcher S, Behr R, Weinbauer GF, Bergmann M, Steger K.Histone-to-protamine exchange causes chromatin condensation ceasing gene expression in elongating spermatids. Gene expression of protamines is regulated by the transcription factor cAMP-responsive element modulator (CREM). Altered CREM expression results in male infertility, as shown by CREM-knock-out mice being sterile due to round spermatid maturation arrest and patients exhibiting round spermatid maturation arrest revealing a lack or substantial reduction of both CREM-mRNA and CREM-protein. Similar defects in histone-to-protamine exchange have been suggested in infertile stallions exhibitin...
The Journal of heredityJanuary 1, 1964
Volume 55 31-38 doi: 10.1093/oxfordjournals.jhered.a107283
BENIRSCHKE K, LOW RJ, SULLIVAN MM, CARTER RM.This study is oriented towards explaining the usual infertility observed in mule and hinny species through a detailed investigation of their chromosomal structures, with a special emphasis on the instances […]
Bugno M, Słota E, Pieńkowska-Schelling A, Schelling C.An infertile mare with hypoplastic ovaries was subjected to cytogenetic analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using the equine X whole chromosome painting probe (WCPP) was carried out on a chromosome preparation obtained from blood lymphocyte culture. The number of analysed spreads was high (235) and in the X chromosome aneuploidy in mosaic form was diagnosed. The karyotype formula was 63,X / 64,XX / 65,XXX. The ratio of the three lines was 15%, 82% and 3%, respectively. The application of the FISH technique with WCPP is discussed.
Brown JA, Hodder AD, Benak J, Liu IK, Ball BA.Two American Paint Horses, a 3-year-old nulliparous mare and a 7-year-old primiparous mare, presented for recent infertility and a pre-breeding examination, respectively. Examination of the internal reproductive tract of both mares using transrectal palpation and ultrasonography revealed the presence of the cervix, uterine body, left uterine horn and bilateral ovaries. The right uterine horn could neither be palpated nor imaged. The clinical diagnosis of uterus unicornis in one mare was confirmed at necropsy, which revealed combined aplasia of the right uterine horn and oviduct.
Hughes JP, Benirschke K, Kennedy PC, Trommershausen-Smith A.Five phenotypically normal but infertile mares were studied; four had karyotypes of 63XO, and one was a 25,64XX/13,63XO mosaic. The mares exhibited small uteri and has small ovaries that lacked germ cells and consisted primarily of undifferentiated ovarian stroma. These cases demonstrate that chromosome analysis is an important technique for the diagnosis of some forms of equine infertility.
Laing JA, Leech FB.In a group of 852 Thoroughbred mares, 69-7% had foals which survived beyond 6 weeks, 7-1% had dead, premature or full-term foals and 1-1% had foals which died within 6 weeks after birth. Possible factors which may have influenced these data are mentioned.
Pailhoux E, Cribiu EP, Parma P, Cotinot C.In this study, cytogenetic analysis of an infertile mare revealed a 64, XY karyotype. The XY sex-reversed animal had a female phenotype with gonadal dysgenesis. Using Southern blot analysis, we tested for the presence of two Y-specific genes SRY and ZFY by using DNA isolated from peripheral blood leukocytes. The results showed that at least the DNA-binding domain of the SRY gene was deleted from the Y chromosome of the XY mare but that the ZFY gene was present on this chromosome.
McNaughten J, Pozor M, Macpherson M, Kelleman A, Woodward E, Troedsson M.Mares who have not delivered a foal early in life may experience limitations in cervical relaxation, primarily during oestrus. A closed cervix prevents intrauterine deposition of semen during natural breeding, may delay uterine clearance after insemination leading to intrauterine fluid accumulation in, and subsequent infertility. Therefore, a reliable pharmacological method of dilating the equine cervix would have practical application in veterinary medicine. The goal of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of topically applied, synthetic prostaglandin E1 analogue (PGE1 ) for stimul...
Hess MB, Parker NA, Purswell BJ, Dascanio JD.Lufenuron, a benzoylphenyl urea derivative, was evaluated as a treatment for endometrial fungal infections in 4 mares. Intrauterine lavage was performed with lufenuron suspended in sterile saline (0.9% NaCl) solution. Cytologic evaluation and fungal culture of the endometrium, as well as subsequent reproductive performance, were used to monitor efficacy of this treatment. Fungal endometritis in mares is associated with infertility. Treatment is often ineffective and costly, and recurrence following treatment is not uncommon. Intrauterine infusions of lufenuron were effective in eliminating fun...
Pasch L, Schmidt A, King W.The use of autologous blood processing tools including platelet-rich plasma (PRP) devices is increasingly widespread in veterinary medicine. In equine reproduction, a number of studies have explored the effects of intrauterine infusion of PRP on persistent mating-induced endometritis. Artificial insemination with thawed frozen semen incites an intrauterine inflammatory response and we sought to extend the applications of intrauterine PRP to normal mares being inseminated with frozen semen. We investigated a subset of our normal breeding population to observe the clinical effects of prebreeding...
Donahue JM.Eighty-seven of 283 isolates of salmonellae recovered from horses in Kentucky by the Livestock Disease Diagnostic Center from July 1, 1980 through June 30, 1984 were Salmonella agona. No isolations of S agona were made from Jan 1, 1972 through June 30, 1980. Salmonella agona was isolated from horses on 56 farms and most of the isolations were made in the spring. All age classes of horses were involved. Clinical forms of salmonellosis observed were diarrhea, septicemia, infertility, and abortion. Antibiotic susceptibilities were determined for 83 of the 87 isolates, and 79 were resistant to mul...
Caselles AB, Miro-Moran A, Morillo Rodriguez A, Gallardo Bolaños JM, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Salido GM, Peña FJ, Tapia JA, Aparicio IM.Apoptosis in the testis is required to ensure an efficient spermatogenesis. However, sometimes, defective germ cells that are marked for elimination during this process escape elimination in the testes, giving rise to ejaculates with increased percentages of abnormal and apoptotic spermatozoa and a high percentage of apoptotic bodies. Apoptosis markers in the ejaculate have been associated with low fertility, either in animals or humans. Therefore, the goal of this study was to investigate whether fresh equine semen contains apoptotic bodies [initially named Merocyanine 540 (M540) bodies] and ...
Weber KS, Wagener K, Blanco M, Bauersachs S, Bollwein H.Subfertility is a major problem in modern horse breeding. Especially, mares without clinical signs of reproductive diseases, without known uterine pathogens and no evidence of inflammation but not becoming pregnant after several breeding attempts are challenging for veterinarians. To obtain new insights into the cause of these fertility problems and aiming at improving diagnosis of subfertile mares, a comparative analysis of the intrauterine transcriptome in subfertile and fertile mares was performed. Uterine cytobrush samples were collected during estrus from 57 mares without clinical signs o...
Arnold CE, Brinsko SP, Varner DD.6 mares with pyometra secondary to transluminal cervical adhesions were examined. Results: Reasons for hospital admission included infertility (5 mares) and acute colic (1 mare). In the 6 mares, palpation per rectum of the reproductive tract revealed uterine distention, and transrectal ultrasonography confirmed the presence of echogenic fluid accumulation within the uterus. Cervical palpation during vaginal speculum examination indicated transluminal cervical adhesions. Three mares had severe distortion of the cervix as a result of diverticula and fibrosis. All 6 mares had a diagnosis of pyome...
Tsuchiya T, Noda R, Ikeda H, Maeda M, Sato F.Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is an endocrine disorder the clinical signs of which include infertility, but few reports have examined the relationship between PPID and reproductive performance in broodmares. Objective: Broodmares with infertility of unknown etiology were screened for PPID using baseline endogenous plasma ACTH concentrations, and its relationship with subsequent reproductive performance was analyzed. Methods: Sixty-seven Thoroughbred broodmares. Methods: Adrenocorticotropic hormone concentrations were measured in autumn. The broodmares were divided into 3 groups ...
Baczynska A, Fedder J, Schougaard H, Christiansen G.The reproduction rate of horses is one of the lowest within domestic livestock despite advances the veterinary medicine. Infertility in horses may be due mainly to the lack of suitable selection criteria in the breeding of horses. However, acquired infertility due to genital, bacterial infections may occur. Mycoplasmas have been implicated in genital disorders and infertility of many species including humans and horses. However, their role as commensals or pathogens of the genital tract of horses is still not determined. Bacteriological examinations made on the fossa glandis, urethra, penis an...
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...
Bugno M, Słota E.A 5-year-old infertile Hutsul mare was subjected to cytogenetic analysis. Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) using the equine Xp and Xq chromosome painting probes was carried out on chromosome preparations obtained after blood lymphocyte culture. These probes were generated by chromosome microdissection and a large number of spreads was analysed (525). The karyotype formula of the analysed mare was 64,XX/65,XX+Xp with the ratio of the two lines being 99.4 and 0.6, respectively. The goal of the study was to apply chromosome microdissection and the FISH technique for cytogenetic diagnosti...
Esteller-Vico A, Liu IK, Vaughan B, Steffey EP, Brosnan RJ.In the uterus of the mare, data obtained using transrectal Doppler ultrasonography indicate that uterine blood flow (UBF) is dynamic and changes throughout the estrous cycle. Degenerative lesions in the uterus are associated with subfertility and infertility. Among these lesions, vascular elastosis has been reported in aged, multiparous, and infertile mares. Angiosis of the uterine vasculature could potentially compromise UBF. The objectives of this experiment are to determine levels of UBF and perfusion of reproductively healthy mares and compare them to levels of subfertile/infertile mares a...
Pozor M, Conley AJ, Roser JF, Nolin M, Zambrano GL, Runyon SP, Kelleman AA, Macpherson ML.Recently, anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) was validated as a reliable marker of testicular damage caused by various chemotherapy drugs in humans and in mice. In horses, the reference values of AMH concentrations in normal stallions, during different seasons of a year, have been recently reported. However, this hormone was not evaluated in subfertile or infertile stallions with testicular damage. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the effects of experimentally induced testicular degeneration on the concentration of AMH in stallions. Severe but transient testicular degenerat...
Zoller D, Lüttgenau J, Steffen S, Bollwein H.Poor uterine perfusion has been proposed as a cause of infertility in mares. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of isosorbide dinitrate (ISDN), a nitric oxide donor, on uterine and ovarian blood flow resistance during diestrus and early pregnancy in mares. Six Trotter mares, aged 7 to 14 years, were examined daily during the first 11 days of three diestrous periods, and five of those mares were also examined during the first 11 days of two pregnancies. Six mares randomly received a placebo, a low dose (30 mg, ISDN30), or a high dose of ISDN (60 mg, ISDN60) through t...
