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Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus (S. zooepidemicus), is a β-hemolytic Streptococcus belonging to the Lancefield group C; it is a rare human pathogen, but in horses, it is frequently associated with endometritis. This study aimed to isolate S. zooepidemicus strains, associated with bacterial endometritis in mares, and to define their antimicrobial resistance profile. Twenty-three isolates were recovered from one hundred ninety-six equine uterine swabs (11.7%). Bacterial identification was carried out by Api 20 Strep and confirmed by matrix assisted laser desorption ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), while antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by disk diffusion method on Muller Hinton agar plates. The antibiotic resistance profiles of the isolates revealed a high percentage of resistance to amikacin (95.6%), ampicillin (73.9%) and tetracycline (69.6%), while ceftiofur and ceftriaxone were highly effective with 82.6% and 78.3% of the isolates inhibited, respectively. An intriguing value of resistance to penicillin (34.8%), which represents the first-choice antibiotic in equine S. zooepidemicus infections, was observed. Furthermore, a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant strains (82.6%) was recorded. Continuous surveillance of this potential zoonotic pathogen and an appropriate antimicrobial stewardship program with the promotion of correct use of antimicrobials, after a proper diagnosis, are needed to allow an effective therapy.

Many mares are susceptible to persistent mating-induced endometritis (PMIE), an important cause of reduced fertility. Platelet lysate (PL) derives from freeze-thawing platelets after concentration, so that growth factors are released from the platelets. Among the advantages of PL compared to platelet-rich plasma (PRP), it can be frozen stored and allogenic use for PL might also be conceivable. Platelet-rich plasma beneficially reduced inflammatory response in PMIE mares when administered 24 h pre- or 4 h post-AI. The aim of this study was to test the effect of PL on inflammatory uterine response in mares susceptible to PMIE. A total of 14 mares susceptible to PMIE (based on presence of fluid or inflammatory cells 24 h after AI) underwent an untreated (Ctr) cycle followed by a treated (PL) cycle. From each mare, 100 mL of citrated whole blood was obtained for PRP production by centrifugation. The resultant PRP was brought to a final volume of 10 mL with platelet poor plasma and frozen at −80 °C to obtain PL. On untreated cycles, mares were inseminated with frozen-thawed semen 36 h after ovulation induction. On treated cycles, PL was thawed, infused into the uterus 12 h after ovulation induction, and AIs were performed 24 h later. The number of neutrophils in uterine cytology (score 1(normal)-3(severe inflammation)) evaluated by optical microscopy, uterine fluid accumulation (height x width) and uterine edema (score 0–3) observed in ultrasonography, were analysed. Pregnancy was evaluated by ultrasonography 14 days after ovulation. A significant decrease (P < 0.05) was observed on cytology score (PL 1.3 ± 0.1 vs Ctr 2.0 ± 0.1), fluid accumulation (PL 79.5 ± 30.1 mm2 vs Ctr 342.7 ± 52.9 mm2) and edema score (PL 1.8 ± 0.2 vs Ctr 2.3 ± 0.2) in treated mares. Pregnancy rate in PL-treated cycles (3/12) and control cycles (2/14), were not significantly different (P > 0.05). According to the results, we conclude that treatment with PL in mares classified as susceptible to PMIE appears to reduce the inflammatory response after breeding, based on clinical signs of uterine edema, IUF accumulation and PMNs migration.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of induced endometritis on uterine blood flow in cows. Transrectal Doppler sonography was performed on uterine arteries of six cyclic cows before and for 4 days after inducing acute endometritis by intrauterine infusion of 720 mg of policresulen, and for 4 days of the following estrous cycle. Time-averaged maximum velocity (TAMV) increased (p < 0.001) and pulsatility index (PI) decreased (p < 0.0001) within 1 h of policresulen administration, and did not change (p > 0.05) in the next 4 days of the same cycle. TAMV and PI values in the subsequent cycle did not differ (p > 0.05) from the values measured before infusion and showed no changes (p > 0.05) within the cycle. Blood flow parameters were not related (p > 0.05) to plasma concentrations of progesterone and estrogen. All cows showed an acute endometritis determined by histopathological findings of biopsy samples taken 1 day after infusion and fibrotic endometrial alterations detected in the subsequent cycle. No relationships were observed between fibrotic changes of the endometrium and uterine blood flow during either cycle. In conclusion, acute inflammation is accompanied by a rise in uterine blood flow, but fibrotic alterations do not seem to be related to Doppler sonographic findings.

The aim of this study was to investigate the repeat breeding condition in Italian Mediterranean buffaloes that failed to conceive after at least 300 days in milk. The trial was carried out on 40 pluriparous Italian Mediterranean buffaloes with more than 300 days in milk. All the animals underwent ultrasound examination to assess endometrial thickness and oestrus synchronization by the Ovsynch-TAI Program. On the day of oestrus, blood samples were collected for the haemocytometric cell count and biochemical assay, and the animals were slaughtered in a local abattoir. A post-mortem uterine flushing was performed using sterile saline for microbiological analyses. Furthermore, uterine biopsies were carried out for histopathological assessment. Finally, endometrial samples were used for real-time PCR (RT-PCR) analysis to evaluate the expression of genes involved in innate immune recognition of pathogens and the inflammatory response, such as Toll-like receptor (TLR)1, TLR8, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, COL4A2, connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), and cysteine-rich angiogenic inducer 61 (CYR61). Statistical analysis was performed by one-way ANOVA. Based on the infiltration of lymphocytes and plasma cells or endometrial gland, lymphatic, and blood vessel ectasia recorded in the histopathological examination, the animals were classified into three groups: healthy (H Group; n = 5), moderate endometritis (M Group; n = 25), and severe endometritis (S Group; n = 10). A significantly greater (P

International audience; Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular pathogen and the cause of Q fever in many animal species and humans. Several studies have reported the association between C. burnetii and abortion, premature delivery, stillbirth, and weak offspring. However, no solid evidence indicates that C. burnetii causes endometritis, subfertility, and retained fetal membranes. For this study, histopathological and PCR evaluation were performed on 40 uterine biopsies from dairy cattle with poor fertility. Uterine swabs were concurrently tested with microbiology assays. The endometrial biopsies of 30 cows did not have any significant lesions, and no pathogens were identified by aerobic bacterial culture and PCR. Ten cows were PCR-positive for C. burnetii and negative for other pathogens by aerobic bacterial culture and PCR. These 10 cases revealed a mild to severe chronic endometritis admixed with perivascular and periglandular fibrosis. Immunohistochemical evaluation of C. burnetii PCR-positive biopsies identified, for the first time, the presence of intralesional and intracytoplasmic C. burnetii in macrophages in the endometrium of cattle.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the findings of endometrial cytology in cows with acute and chronic endometritis. For this purpose samples were collected from 217 Brown Swiss and Holstein cows, housed on the Atatürk University Dairy Research Farm between the years 2010 and 2012, and they were stained with Giemsa for cytological examination. In the evaluation, overall 100 cells were counted in the microscopic area and the cells were classified as polymorph nuclear leukocyte, macrophage, lymphocyte and epithelial cells. The cytopathological classification was done according to the percentages of inflammatory cells. Briefly, 126 (58.06 %) samples had extensive inflammatory cells, and of the uterine samples 91 (41.94 %) had normal exfoliation. According to the cellular density results, acute, and chronic and subacute endometritis were described in 68 (31.33 %), 23 (10.60 %) and 35 (16.13 %) cases, respectively. In conclusion, endometrial cytology was found to be an applicable and reliable diagnostic method in diagnosis and diffentiation of acute and chronic endometritis., Cilj istraživanja bio je procijeniti citološke nalaze u endometriju krava s akutnim i kroničnim endometritisom. U tu su svrhu između 2010. i 2012. godine bili prikupljeni uzorci od 217 krava smeđe i holštajnske pasmine, uzgajanih na pokusnoj mliječnoj farmi na Sveučilištu Atatürk. Uzorci su bili obojeni Giemsinim bojenjem. Pri procjeni je u vidnom polju mikroskopa bilo izbrojeno ukupno 100 stanica kojesu razvrstane u polimorfononuklearne leukocite, makrofage, limfocite i epitelne stanice. Citopatološko razvrstavanje bilo je provedeno na osnovi postotka upalnih stanica. Ukratko, upalne stanice bile su ustanovljene u 126 (58,06 %) uzoraka, dok je u 91 (41,94 %) uzorku maternice ustanovljeno normalno ljuštenje stanica. Na osnovi stanične gustoće, akutni endometritis bio je dokazan u 68 (31,33 %) uzoraka, kronični u 23 (10,60 %), a subakutni u 35 (16,13 %) uzoraka. Zaključno, citologija endometrija pokazala se primjenjljivom i pouzdanom metodom u dijagnostici odnosno razlikovanju akutnog od kroničnog endometritisa.

Aim of the study was to compare the effects on pregnancy rates of 4 different post-insemination treatments, by analyzing retrospectively clinical records of 467 mares inseminated with fresh or cooled semen. The treatments consisted in intramuscular administration of oxytocin (10-20 UI TID), associated or not to: flushing with sterile saline, or flushing added with antibiotics or with antiseptics. The pregnancy status of the mares was determined 14 and 40 days after ovulation by trans-rectal ultrasonography. Then, pregnancy rates were compared in repeated breeding mares treated either with flushing or with flushing added with antibiotic or antiseptic. The chosen treatments were correlated to the kind of semen (fresh/cooled) and to the presence of uterine fluid pre and post insemination. Pregnancy rates resulted significantly lower in mares with intraluminal fluid post insemination and it did not differ between the kind of semen nor between treatments. In repeat breeding mares, pregnancy rates were higher in mares treated with antibiotic or antiseptic and did not differ in relation to the presence of intrauterine fluid. In practical sets, identifying mares susceptible to persistent breeding-induced endometritis can be difficult, thus a tendency to over-diagnose and over-treat the mares post insemination could be observed. Particularly, the use of antibiotics should be carefully considered, because of the risk of bacterial resistance and lacking data about their effectiveness. Key words Breeding-induced endometritis, mare, treatment