THE EFFECTS OF DEXAMETHASONE SODIUM-PHOSPHATE ON MARES WITH EXPERIMENTALLY-INDUCED ENDOMETRITIS

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.