Endometrial explant culture to study the response of equine endometrium to insemination.

Abstract

Mating-induced endometritis (MIE) is ubiquitous in the horse after natural mating and artificial insemination with frozen/thawed semen causing the most aggressive response. The majority of mares eliminate MIE 24-48 h after insemination. An endometrial explant culture was tested as a potential in vitro exemplar for sperm-induced MIE. Endometrial prostaglandin F(2alpha) (PGF(2alpha)) secretion and expression of interleukin-8 (IL-8) were used as markers of inflammation. Endometrial explants were cultured from uteri collected from follicular phase mares. Explants were challenged with 1 or 10 x 10(6) sperm/ml frozen/thawed semen, chilled semen, washed sperm or seminal plasma. Medium was collected 24 and 72 h after challenge and assayed for PGF(2alpha) by radioimmunoassay. Treatment of endometrial explants with frozen/thawed, chilled semen or washed sperm did not change the secretion of PGF(2alpha) compared with untreated controls. However, 24 h after challenge cultured explants expressed IL-8. The in vitro endometrial explant system did not represent the in vivo response to semen when PGF(2alpha) was used as a marker of inflammation, yet the use of gene expression as an inflammatory marker warrants further investigation.

• Authors: D M Nash, I M Sheldon, S Herath, E A Lane
• Journal: Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene (Reprod Domest Anim) Vol. 45 Issue 4 Pg. 670-6 (Aug 2010) ISSN: 1439-0531 [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 19144039 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Cryoprotective Agents
• Interleukin-8
• RNA, Messenger
• Dinoprost

Topics

• Animals
• Cryoprotective Agents (adverse effects)
• Dinoprost (genetics, metabolism)
• Endometritis (etiology, physiopathology, veterinary)
• Endometrium (metabolism)
• Female
• Gene Expression Regulation (drug effects, physiology)
• Horse Diseases (etiology, physiopathology)
• Horses
• Interleukin-8 (genetics, metabolism)
• Male
• RNA, Messenger (metabolism)
• Semen (physiology)
• Tissue Culture Techniques (veterinary)