Dimethyl sulfoxide intrauterine therapy in the mare: effects upon endometrial histological features and biopsy classification.

The research explores the impact of a type of intrauterine therapy on the endometrial features of barren mares, noting that it doesn’t result in damaging changes, offers notable improvements, and potentially leads to increased pregnancy rates.

Plain Language Summary

The study investigates the effects of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), as compared to a saline solution, on the reproductive health of infertile or barren mares. It shows that DMSO doesn’t cause negative changes, significantly enhances the endometrial health of the horses, and hints at a possible improvement in fertility rates overall.

Research Objective and Methodology

• The goal of the research was to observe the impact of 10% to 30% concentrations of DMSO on the endometrial histological features of barren mares in comparison to the effects of a sterile saline solution (0.9% NaCl).
• The chosen method involved intrauterine infusion—the injection of these solutions directly into the uterus of the mares.
• The study used a sample of 16 barren mares.

Key Findings

• No damaging histological changes were discovered in the mares treated with the DMSO therapy.
• The treatment with a 30% concentration of intrauterine DMSO resulted in a significant improvement in the classification of endometrial biopsies from 18 of the 27 barren mares. The improvements included a reduction in chronic inflammatory cell infiltrates and a decrease in periglandular fibrosis.
• In contrast, only 2 of 18 barren mares showed improvement following treatment with the intrauterine saline solution.

Subsequent Breeding Trials

• The researchers found no significant difference in pregnancy rates between the mares that were treated with DMSO and those that received the control saline treatment.
• However, the study noted a trend toward a higher pregnancy rate following the DMSO therapy.
• The inability to control for sire variability or the potential traits of the male mate in the breeding trials may have influenced these results. The researchers suggest that this could be why no significant difference was found in the pregnancy rates between the treated and control mares.

Concluding Remarks

• The study demonstrated significant potential benefits of DMSO intrauterine therapy in improving endometrial health and possibly increasing the pregnancy rate in barren mares.