Efficacy of immunomodulators in addressing uterine infection in cattle

Abstract

A study was conducted on 72 crossbred cows comprising 18 normal cyclic and newline54 metritic cows with a view to comparing efficacy of intrauterine treatment of E. coli newlineLPS and Oyster glycogen in inducing uterine immunity, controlling bacterial newlinecontamination of the uterus and obtaining conception in the metritic cows. Metritis was newlinediagnosed on the basis of clinical signs, pH of uterine discharge and white side test. E. newlinecoli LPS and Oyster glycogen was used at the dose of 100and#956;g and 500 mg respectively newlineeach in 20 ml of phosphate buffer saline solution (pH 7.2). newlineThe study revealed that all metritic cows showed mucopurulent discharge, thick newlineuterine wall, alkaline pH (and#8805;8) and positive reaction to white side test while none of the newlinenormal cows showed these diagnostic characteristics of metritis. Level of uterine newlinedefence mechanism as measured by per cent neutrophil, total leucocyte count (TLC), newlineconcentration of total protein and IgG of the uterine lavage was higher in metritic cows newlineas compared to that in the normal. In normal and metritic cows the respective mean newlinevalues were 57.18 ± 0.60 and 69.62 ± 1.71 per cent for neutrophil, 0.07 ± 0.01 and 0.22 newline± 0.02×106/ml for TLC, 0.104 ± 0.00002 and 0.144 ± 0.0003 g/dl for total protein and newline0.006 ± 0.0001 and 0.013 ± 0.0003 mg/ml for IgG concentration. newlineE. coli LPS and Oyster glycogen when administered intrauterine at the dose of newline100 and#61549;g and 500 mg respectively stimulated uterine defence mechanism in terms of newlineincreased TLC and concentration of total protein and IgG in both normal and metritic newlinecows. In E. coli LPS and Oyster glycogen treated normal cows the respective mean newlinevalues were 3.31 ± 0.22 and 1.43 ± 0.53 × 106/ml for TLC, 0.149 ± 0.00002 and 0.135 newline± 0.00002 g/dl for total protein concentration and 0.011 ± 0.0001 and 0.008 ± 0.0001 newlinemg/ml for IgG content of the uterine lavage. In metritic cows for the two treatment newlinegroups the respective mean value were 13.97 ± 0.47 and 7.88 ± 0.34 × 106/ml for TLC, newline0.250 ± 0.0001 and 0.227 ± 0.0002 g/dl for total protein and 0.025 ± 0.0001 and 0.020 newline± 0.0001 mg/ml for IgG content of the uterine lavage. In both normal and metritic cows newlinemean values recorded following E. coli LPS treatment were higher than that observed newlinein Oyster glycogen treatment, indicating superior immunomodulatory effect of E. coli newlineLPS over Oyster glycogen. newlineBacteriological study revealed that 83.33 per cent metritic and 16.67 per cent newlinenormal cow uteri were positive for bacterial isolates and the bacteria were newlineStaphylococcus sp., E. coli, Streptococcus sp. and Brucella sp. in metritic and only newlineStaphylococcus sp. in normal cows. Both E. coli LPS and Oyster glycogen were newlineeffective in controlling bacterial infection in metritic cows. Following intrauterine newlinetreatment with either E. coli LPS or Oyster glycogen only 16.67 per cent were found newlinepositive for bacterial isolates against 83.33 per cent in the control (non-treated) cows. newlineInseminations carried out in metritic cows after 24 hours of intrauterine newlinetreatment with E. coli LPS resulted in only 16.66 per cent conception rate against none newlinefollowing insemination with Oyster glycogen and Ciprofloxacin with Tinidazole .When newlineinseminations were carried out in the subsequent oestrus period following treatment newlineconception rate was 83.33, 50.00 and 50.00 per cent in cows treated with E. coli LPS, newlineOyster glycogen and Ciprofloxacin with Tinidazole respectively. newline