Am. Mcdonnell et Ed. Watson, THE EFFECTS OF DEXAMETHASONE SODIUM-PHOSPHATE ON MARES WITH EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED ENDOMETRITIS, Journal of equine veterinary science, 13(4), 1993, pp. 202-206
Mares with experimentally-induced endometritis were treated systemical
ly with a therapeutic dose of 40 mug/kg bodyweight of dexamethasone so
dium phosphate by intravenous injection for three consecutive days in
the presence or absence of intrauterine antibiotic treatment. The cyto
logic, microbiologic, ultrasonographic and histologic responses of the
uterus to treatments were monitored. The dexamethasone-only treated m
ares showed a greater inflammatory response to infection than any of t
he other treatment groups, especially as judged by endometrial histolo
gy where there was widespread neutrophil and plasma cell infiltration
of the stratum compactum and stratum spongiosum. Mares treated with an
tibiotic or antibiotic plus dexamethasone showed only a mild degree of
endometrial inflammation. This study has demonstrated that, at the do
se level used in this experiment, dexamethasone sodium phosphate did n
ot appear to have any beneficial therapeutic effects in reducing the i
nflammation associated with endometritis compared to treating with ant
ibiotic alone.