Effect of Transvaginal Aspiration of Oocytes on Blood And Peritoneal Fluid Parameters in Mares.

The study focuses on the effects of the transvaginal aspiration (TVA) procedure, a method used to retrieve oocytes, or eggs, for in vitro fertilization in horses, on the blood and peritoneal parameters of the subject mares. The parameters remained mostly within the normal reference values, although there was observable inflammation post-TVA, represented by an increase in lactate, total protein and peritoneal neutrophil count.

About Transvaginal Aspiration

• The research was done in evaluating the effects of the process of transvaginal aspiration (TVA) on the health of horses. TVA is a clinical procedure frequently conducted to extract oocytes, which are immature egg cells, for the purpose of creating embryos in a lab, a process known as in vitro fertilization.

Study Methodology

• The study involved using TVA on 14 mare horses.
• Prior to conducting the procedure, a medical check was done, and samples of blood and peritoneal fluid were collected from each mare.
• The same analyses were done 24 hours after the TVA procedure was performed, and the results were compared.

Results and Observations

• One mare out of the 14 developed a mild fever, brief loss of appetite, and mild colic which were alleviated within 12 hours after TVA.
• The factors like antibiotic usage, the duration of the TVA procedure, and the number of ovarian punctures were found not to have an impact on the parameters measured during this research.
• All mares showed significant variations in their leukogram (white blood cell count), however, these changes mostly fell within the standard reference range implying the changes were not drastic enough to be considered abnormal or dangerous.
• In the peritoneal fluid, there was a notable increase in lactate, total protein, and peritoneal neutrophil count. More than half of the mares had peritoneal lactate levels higher than the normal physiological levels indicating a reaction to the procedure.

Conclusion

• The study concluded that a moderate degree of inflammation does occur post-TVA as evidenced by the increase in lactate and peritoneal neutrophil count. This inflammation, however, was manageable and did not represent a significant health risk for the mares.
• The research also suggests that peritoneal fluid parameters could be used effectively to monitor inflammation in the early stages after a TVA procedure.