Transrectal Doppler sonography of uterine and umbilical blood flow during pregnancy in mares.
Abstract: Transrectal color Doppler sonography was used to investigate uterine and umbilical blood flow during pregnancy (duration, 46-48 weeks) in four mares. The resistance index (RI) and blood flow volume (VOL) of the uterine arteries ipsilateral and contralateral to the conceptus, and the presence of an early diastolic notch in the Doppler wave, were evaluated every 4 week throughout pregnancy. Fetal blood flow was calculated semiquantitatively every 2 week (from 20 to 40 weeks), using the RI of the umbilical arteries. During the entire period of investigation, there were no significant individual variations in uterine RI and VOL nor differences between the two uterine arteries. Mean RI decreased by more than half during pregnancy from 0.89 +/- 0.01 to 0.39 +/- 0.03, and mean VOL increased almost 400-fold from 69 +/- 37 to 27,467 +/- 8851 ml/min. There were relationships (P<0.0001) between week of pregnancy (x) and RI as well as VOL. These were described by the equations RI=0.938-0.150 ln(x) and VOL (ml/min)=7.621x(2.157). Log transformed total estrogen (TE) were related to RI (r=-0.879; P<0.05) as well as to VOL (r=0.888; P<0.05). The notch in the Doppler wave of the uterine artery disappeared between 18 and 26 weeks. There was a correlation (P<0.0001) between week of gestation (x) and RI values of the umbilical arteries; this was described by the equation RI=1.763-0.071x+0.001x2. Further studies are needed to determine whether transrectal color Doppler sonography could be used to identify mares at risk of abortion.
Publication Date: 2003-12-10 PubMed ID: 14662147DOI: 10.1016/s0093-691x(03)00225-5Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article investigates the use of transrectal color Doppler sonography to monitor uterine and umbilical blood flow in pregnant mares, and its potential use in identifying mares at risk of abortion.
Methodology
- The researchers conducted transrectal color Doppler sonography on four pregnant mares every 4 weeks, spanning pregnancies of 46-48 weeks.
- They examined the uterine arteries on both sides of the conceptus (embryo/fetus and its associated membranes), evaluating the resistance index (RI) and blood flow volume (VOL).
- An early diastolic notch in the Doppler wave was checked periodically, and fetal blood flow was semi-quantitatively calculated every two weeks (from 20-40 weeks) using the RI of the umbilical arteries.
Results
- Throughout the study, no significant individual variations were found in terms of uterine RI and VOL or difference between the uterine arteries of each mare.
- The average RI more than halved during the course of the pregnancies from 0.89 to 0.39, while the mean VOL increased almost 400-fold from 69 ml/min to 27,467 ml/min.
- There was a significant relationship between the week of pregnancy and both RI and VOL, suggesting that these values change predictably over the course of a pregnancy.
- A notable relationship was found between total estrogen and both RI (negative correlation) and VOL (positive correlation).
- The diastolic notch in the wave of the uterine artery disappeared between 18 and 26 weeks of pregnancy.
- There was a significant correlation between the week of gestation and the RI values of the umbilical arteries.
Conclusions
- These findings suggest that transrectal color Doppler sonography could potentially be a useful tool for monitoring changes in uterine and umbilical blood flow during equine pregnancy.
- However, further research is needed to determine whether such techniques could be used to identify mares that are at risk of aborting a fetus.
Cite This Article
APA
Bollwein H, Weber F, Woschée I, Stolla R.
(2003).
Transrectal Doppler sonography of uterine and umbilical blood flow during pregnancy in mares.
Theriogenology, 61(2-3), 499-509.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0093-691x(03)00225-5 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Veterinary College, University of Munich, Königinstr 12, 80539 Munich, Germany. Heinrich.Bollwein@gyn.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Arteries / diagnostic imaging
- Blood Flow Velocity
- Diastole
- Female
- Gestational Age
- Horses / physiology
- Pregnancy
- Rectum
- Reference Values
- Regression Analysis
- Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / veterinary
- Umbilical Arteries / diagnostic imaging
- Uterus / blood supply
- Vascular Resistance
Citations
This article has been cited 7 times.- Abdelnaby EA, Emam IA, El-Sherbiny HR, Fadl AM. The effects of aging and gestational month on uteroplacental vascular perfusion, and umbilical artery hemodynamics in pregnant jennies. BMC Vet Res 2022 Nov 15;18(1):404.
- Da Silva-Álvarez E, Gómez-Arrones V, Martín-Cano FE, Gaitskell-Phillips G, Ortiz-Rodríguez JM, Carrasco JJ, Gil MC, Peña Vega FJ, Ortega Ferrusola C. Endometrial area of the blood flow as a marker of endometritis in equine. Reprod Domest Anim 2022 Oct;57 Suppl 5(Suppl 5):98-102.
- Elmetwally MA, Meinecke-Tillmann S. Simultaneous umbilical blood flow during normal pregnancy in sheep and goat foetuses using non-invasive colour Doppler ultrasound. Anim Reprod 2018 Aug 16;15(2):148-155.
- Fasulkov IR, Karadaev M, Vasilev N, Hristov K, Fedev I. Doppler ultrasound measurements of the blood flow velocity in the fetal heart and aorta in Bulgarian White milk goats. Vet Med Sci 2021 Jul;7(4):1297-1302.
- Kumar K, Chandolia RK, Kumar S, Jangir T, Luthra RA, Kumari S, Kumar S. Doppler sonography for evaluation of hemodynamic characteristics of fetal umbilicus in Beetal goats. Vet World 2015 Mar;8(3):412-6.
- Demir MC, Demir MS, Büyükbaki B, Kuru M, Kaya S, Kaçar C. Changes in Doppler Ultrasonography and Echotexture Parameters in Cows During the Last 10 Days of Pregnancy. Vet Med Sci 2025 Mar;11(2):e70256.
- Elmetwally MA, Meinecke-Tillmann S, Herzog K, Bollwein H. Effects of natural mating, artificial insemination and intravaginal deposition of raw semen or seminal plasma on vaginal and uterine blood flow in German Holstein cows. BMC Vet Res 2024 Jun 26;20(1):277.
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