Improving Techniques to Study Equine Cervical Mucociliary Clearance.
Abstract: Postbreeding bacterial uterine infections inflict major losses on the equine industry. Microcurrents propelled by ciliated cells between the folds of the uterus and cervix have been proposed as a means by which contaminants are expelled. Previous data have shown possible ciliary microcurrents propelling carbon particles, occasionally rotating, through cervical folds. However, adherence to the epithelium may have interfered with movement of carbon in these studies. Therefore, we tested potentially nonadherent substances to reveal ciliary microcurrents on the equine cervix under high magnification videoendoscopy. We hypothesized that polyethylene green microspheres 1-5 and 70 μm in diameter, would be superior to carbon in revealing microcurrents on the cervical epithelium and that 50 μm hemispherically coated bichromal microspheres would display rotation. A suspension containing these microspheres and carbon was deposited onto the cervix of five estrous mares, and movement of each type of particle was recorded under high-magnification videoendoscopy for 10-20 minutes. Particles were subjectively assessed for movement between folds, past stationary points, in opposing directions and at different speeds. Visibility, aggregation, motion, and rotation were scored numerically and analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test. Backward rotation of bichromal spheres was interpreted as evidence of ciliary activity. Overall, carbon scored equal to or higher than the microspheres, leading to rejection of the hypothesis. Subjective assessment concluded that cervical movement was closely related to respiratory movements of the mare, and that the constantly moving cervical folds helped clear the deposited particles.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2019-04-08 PubMed ID: 31203983DOI: 10.1016/j.jevs.2019.03.009Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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This research paper examines better methods to study how horse (equine) cervix cells use microscopic currents to remove contaminants, a process that would help prevent uterine infections. It finds that carbon, a material previously used in these researches, produced the same or better results than new materials tested.
Objective
- The research aims to improve techniques for studying equine cervical mucociliary clearance, a process by which bacteria and other harmful elements are expelled from the uterus and cervix of horses, thus helping prevent uterine infections.
Methodology
- Earlier studies suggested that microscopic currents of ciliated cells could help propel contaminants out of the uterus. These “microcurrents” were observed in earlier studies using carbon particles.
- However, those studies also suggested that the adherence of the carbon to the epithelium (the outer layer of cells) might interfere with the particle movement. Therefore, this study decided to test different types of substances for their adherence properties.
- The researchers hypothesized that polyethylene green microspheres of varying diameters would be better at revealing these microcurrents on the cervical epithelium than carbon. They also believed that bichromal microspheres would display rotation, indicating ciliary activity.
- To test their hypotheses, they deposited a suspension containing the microspheres and carbon onto the cervix of five estrous mares and recorded the particle movements under a high-magnification videoendoscope for 10-20 minutes.
Result and Conclusion
- They then assessed the movement, visibility, motion, rotation, and clustering of the particles and analyzed them using the Kruskal-Wallis test.
- Contrary to the researchers’ expectations, carbon performed equally or better than the microspheres on most metrics, leading them to reject their initial hypotheses.
- The study also concluded that the movement of the cervix itself, which was found to be closely related to the respiratory movements of the mare, might play a significant role in clearing the deposited particles.
Cite This Article
APA
Hawkes M, Richard A, Oldfield C, Toothaker A, Stokes M, Causey R.
(2019).
Improving Techniques to Study Equine Cervical Mucociliary Clearance.
J Equine Vet Sci, 78, 46-52.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2019.03.009 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- School of Food and Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME.
- School of Food and Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME.
- School of Food and Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME.
- School of Food and Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME.
- School of Food and Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME.
- School of Food and Agriculture, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME. Electronic address: rcausey@maine.edu.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cervix Uteri
- Epithelium
- Estrus
- Female
- Horses
- Mucociliary Clearance
- Uterus
Citations
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