Infection impacts on uterine function
As the incidence of uterine disease in UK herds continue to rise, fingers point at E coli – the most commonly isolated uterine pathogen, which often precedes infection with other organisms. The constituents of the cell wall of this gram-negative bacteria – that form a lipopolysaccharide or LPS – can be detected in the uterus, peripheral circulation and in follicular fluid of infected cows. And this affects the physiological function of uterine and ovarian cells.
“And this means that prostaglandin production is affected, and aromatase expression and estradiol production is down regulated,” Erin Williams, from London’s Royal Veterinary College told delegates at the British Society of Animal Science’s international conference entitled: Fertility in dairy cows – bridging the gaps.
“These mechanisms may be partly responsible for the sub fertility in post partum dairy cows,” added Dr Williams.
This is bad news for UK dairy producers as uterine disease in cattle is increasing. The incidence stood at around 4,000 cases requiring direct intervention by a vet in 2003 to almost 6,000 cases in 2006.
Clinical uterine disease, or endometritis, costs the dairy industry millions of pounds each year due to longer calving intervals, an increased number of services per conception, and increase in the number of culls and subfertility.
“High numbers of bacteria in the postpartum uterus result in reduced growth and function of the first postpartum dominant follicle,” said Dr Williams.
“Ovarian follicles grow slower and produce less estradiol – and corpora lutea grow slower and produce less progesterone – in cows with higher numbers of uterine pathogens.”
Effect of Escherichia coli infection of the bovine uterus from the whole animal to cell
Dr Erin Williams 1, Dr Shan Herath 1, Prof Gary England 2, Prof Hilary Dobson 3, Dr Clare Bryant 4 and Prof Martin Sheldon 1.
1 Royal Veterinary College, London, 2 University of Nottingham, 3 University of Liverpool, 4 University of Cambridge
Email: Erin.Williams@ucd.ie
summary (pdf) Presentation_007_erinwilliams orig (pdf)
