W. Klucinski et al., EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF EXPERIMENTAL COW ENDOMETRITIS ON BACTERICIDAL CAPABILITY OF PHAGOCYTIZING CELLS ISOLATED FROM THE BLOOD AND UTERINE, Journal of veterinary medicine. Series A, 42(7), 1995, pp. 461-466
Studies were undertaken to assess the bactericidal activity of phagocy
tes isolated from blood and the uterine lumen of clinically healthy co
ws after ovulation, and from cows in which endometritis was induced ex
perimentally. Experiments were carried out on 28 clinically healthy co
ws of the black and white lowland breed. Animals were aged 5 years and
were used between the 2nd and 8th day after spontaneous ovulation. Co
ws were divided into four groups. Group I comprised animals in which c
ell-mediated type immune reaction was induced in the left uterine horn
by intrauterine challenge with tuberculin. Cows in this group were in
itially vaccinated with M. bovis via the intrauterine route. In group
II, Arthus type immune reaction was induced by challenging immunized a
nimals with C. fetus ssp. veneralis through intrauterine instillation.
The non-specific inflammatory process was initiated in the uterus of
animals in group III by one instillation of lipopolysaccharide from S.
abortus equi. Animals in group IV were set as control and received a
phosphate buffered saline instillation into the uterine lumen. The cel
ls from the left uterine horn were washed out 6 h after induction. Neu
trophils were isolated from blood samples collected from all animals w
ithin the same time. The bacterial activity of cells from the uterine
lumen and blood was assessed with the nitro-blue tetrazolium reduction
test. Results are presented as increase in optical density resulting
from a constant number of phagocytizing cells (Delta OD/10(6) cells).
Induction of cell-mediated immune reaction or Arthus type immune react
ion in the uterus significantly boosts the intracellular capability of
uterine cells to kill bacteria through the oxidation system. Experime
ntally induced non-specific endometritis weakens the bactericidal acti
vity of uterine phagocytes, while peripheral blood phagocytes efficien
tly kill the engulfed bacteria.