Evaluation of the haemostatic profile in the pre- and post parturient mare, with particular focus on the perinatal period.

The study is aimed at exploring the changes in various haemostatic (blood clotting) factors in mares during the period leading up to and following childbirth, with an emphasis on the perinatal period.

Approach and Methodology

• The research team undertook a systematic evaluation of different haemostatic analytes, these are the components involved in blood coagulation, four months before (pre-partum) and five months after (post-partum) childbirth in 14 healthy mares.

Findings

• The concentration of plasma fibrinogen, a protein in the blood plasma that helps in blood clot formation, was found to be gradually increasing from the middle of gestation and reached its maximum or near-maximum level at childbirth.
• Similarly, the activities of Factor VIII:C and von Willebrand factor (vWF), essential components for blood clotting, also showed a gradual increase during the same period. The increase in these factors’ activities were associated with an increase in the concentration of plasma fibronectin, a protein that aids in wound healing.
• There was an observed appearance of fibrinogen degradation products, indicating an active clot dissolution process happening alongside clot formation. There was a modest increase in levels of antithrombin III, a protein that prevents abnormal clotting, showing a balanced haemostasis.
• However, the activities of Factor VII and Factor IX, other proteins involved in the clotting process, remained mostly constant throughout the observed period. The one-stage Prothrombin Time (PT) and Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time (APTT), tests to evaluate the effectiveness of clotting, also stayed relatively unvaried before and after childbirth.

Implications of the findings

• The increase in the concentration and activity of certain haemostatic factors suggests that mare’s body adjusts the clotting process in preparation for the parturition, presumably to manage potential hemorrhage during the childbirth process.
• However, the constant levels of certain factors and the increase in antithrombin III indicate that the body is also regulating this increase to prevent abnormal or excessive clotting, maintaining a balance in the haemostatic system.
• Such an understanding of the physiological changes happening in the mare during the perinatal period can help in veterinary medicinal care during complications arising from childbirth.