Abstract: The overall goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of various therapeutic combinations of estradiol cypionate (ECP, a long-acting estrogen) and altrenogest (ALT, a long-acting progestin) in addition to basic treatment for placentitis with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMS) and flunixin meglumine (FM). Specific outcomes measured in this experiment were (i) time from induction of bacterial placentitis to delivery, and foal parameters (high-risk, survival, and birth weight); and (ii) serum steroid concentrations (progesterone, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, 17β-estradiol, and cortisol) in response to treatment. Pregnant mares (∼300 days gestation, n = 46) were randomly assigned into healthy mares (control group, CONT, n = 8) and mares with experimentally induced ascending placentitis (n = 38). Placentitis was induced via intracervical inoculation of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus. Thereafter, placentitis induced mares were randomly assigned into: (1) basic treatment, TMS+FM (n = 8); (2) basic treatment with ALT supplementation, TMS+FM+ALT (n = 8); (3) basic treatment with ECP supplementation, TMS+FM+ECP (n = 6); (4) basic treatment with ALT and ECP supplementation TMS+FM+ALT+ECP (n = 6); and (5) no treatment (INOC, n = 10). Treatments were started 48 h after bacterial inoculation and carried out for ten consecutive days. Blood samples were collected daily, and mares were assessed for signs of placentitis until the mare delivered, or for ten consecutive days after onset of treatment. Steroids were analyzed via RIA. Continuous data were analyzed by ANOVA, and categorical data analyzed by Fisher's exact test. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Foal survival at parturition and seven days post-delivery were similar across treated groups (66.7-100%), and to the CONT group. Similar to CONT group, mares in the TMS+FM+ECP group had no high-risk foals while mares in the other groups had higher incidences (50-75%) (p < 0.05). The inclusion of ECP in the treatments resulted in foals with body weight similar to CONT group (p > 0.05). There were no group effects or time by group interactions on concentrations of steroids assessed herein (p > 0.05). In conclusion, in addition to basic treatment TMS+FM, mares with experimentally induced ascending placentitis benefited from ECP supplementation. Conversely, ALT did not appear to make a difference in outcomes. The immunoassays used for measurements of steroid concentrations did not appear useful to assess treatment response.
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The study conducted aims to evaluate the efficiency of different treatments for placentitis in horses, where one of the treatments involves using estradiol cypionate. The experiment looks into whether the treatments have any impact on childbirth as well as if there are any changes in steroid concentrations.
Research Methodology
About 46 pregnant mares around 300 days into their gestation period were randomly chosen for this study.
These mares were then divided into two main groups. The first group (n = 8) consisted of healthy mares serving as a control group. The second group (n = 38) had mares which were artificially induced with placentitis (inflammation of the placenta) following an intracervical inoculation of Streptococcus equi subspecies zooepidemicus, a bacteria.
The placentitis induced mares were further categorized into five groups. Group 1 received basic treatment consisting of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and flunixin meglumine (TMS+FM). Group 2 received basic treatment with added long-acting progestin (ALT). Group 3 received basic treatment with estradiol cypionate (ECP), a long-acting estrogen. Group 4 received basic treatment with both ALT and ECP. The fifth group did not receive any treatment.
The treatments started 48 hours after the bacterial inoculation and were carried out for ten consecutive days.
Daily blood samples were collected and the mares were observed for symptoms of placentitis until foaling or for ten days after beginning the treatment.
Results
There was no significant difference in the foal survival rates at birth among all the treated groups and the control group.
Mares who received basic treatment plus ECP did not produce any high-risk foals unlike other treated groups.
The introduction of ECP in the treatments gave birth to foals with weight similar to the control group.
There were no group effects or time by group interactions on concentrations of steroids.
Conclusion
The addition of estradiol cypionate (ECP) to basic treatment demonstrated positive effects on mares induced with placentitis.
The use of altrenogest (ALT) did not exhibit any improvement in outcomes when used alongside basic treatment.
The methods of measuring steroid concentrations did not offer valuable insights about treatment responses.
Cite This Article
APA
Curcio BR, Canisso IF, Pazinato FM, Borba LA, Feijó LS, Muller V, Finger IS, Toribio RE, Nogueira CEW.
(2017).
Estradiol cypionate aided treatment for experimentally induced ascending placentitis in mares.
Theriogenology, 102, 98-107.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2017.03.010
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil; Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61802, USA. Electronic address: curciobruna@hotmail.com.
Canisso, Igor F
Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61802, USA. Electronic address: canisso@illinois.edu.
Pazinato, Fernanda M
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Borba, Luciana A
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Feijó, Lorena S
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Muller, Vitoria
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Finger, Ilusca S
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Toribio, Ramiro E
Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA.
Nogueira, Carlos E W
Departamento de Clinica Veterinaria, Faculdade de Medicine Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
MeSH Terms
Animals
Anti-Bacterial Agents / administration & dosage
Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
Clonixin / administration & dosage
Clonixin / analogs & derivatives
Clonixin / therapeutic use
Drug Therapy, Combination
Estradiol / administration & dosage
Estradiol / analogs & derivatives
Estradiol / therapeutic use
Female
Horse Diseases / drug therapy
Horse Diseases / microbiology
Horses
Placenta Diseases / drug therapy
Placenta Diseases / microbiology
Placenta Diseases / veterinary
Pregnancy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / drug therapy
Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / veterinary
Streptococcal Infections / drug therapy
Streptococcal Infections / microbiology
Streptococcal Infections / veterinary
Streptococcus equi
Trenbolone Acetate / administration & dosage
Trenbolone Acetate / analogs & derivatives
Trenbolone Acetate / therapeutic use
Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / administration & dosage
Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination / therapeutic use