THE EFFECTS OF CARBETOCIN AND GONADOLIBER IN ON THE CELL COUNT OF VAGINAL SMEARS IN PUERPERAL EWES

A decrease in the ovarian hormone levels at puerperium also causes cyt omorphological changes of vaginal epithelial cells. The dynamics of th e above changes in the early puerperium of ewes was determined after c arbetocin (Depotocin Spofa) and gonadoliberin (GnRH, Dirigestran Spofa ) administration. In the experiment 29 animals divided into three grou ps were used. The control group comprised 10 ewes. The animals of expe rimental group I (n = 9) received 2 x 2.5 ml (100 mug) GnRH Dirigestra n inj. Spofa while those of group II (n = 10) were given 2 x 0.07 mg c arbetocin in 1 ml Depotocin inj. Spofa. The first and second dose of t he respective preparations were applied 48 and 72 hours after parturit ion intramuscularly and subcutaneously, respectively. Vaginal smears f or cytological examinations were taken 36 hours after lambing and on d ays 4, 7, 14, 17, 21, 25, and 34 post partum. The smears were fixed on slides with ether-alcohol at a 1:1 ratio and stained according to the method described by Faltinova-Zidovskij. Cell differentiation was car ried out by the method reported by Luksh (1953). After a statistically significant decrease on day 7 (P < 0.01), the percentual count of bas al and parabasal cells in the control group ranged from 39.52 +/- 12.7 4 to 66.17 +/- 3.95 %. After Depotocin administration, the number of c ells under evaluation revealed a significant decrease up to day 34 of observation (P < 0.01; P < 0.001), reaching their lowest values on day 25 after lambing (I 3.37 +/- 2.56 %). After the application of Dirige stran inj. Spofa the cell count ranged from 31.10 +/- 1.47 to 44.41 +/ - 3.04 % except day 4, when a significant decrease could be stated (15 .92 +/- 2.17 %). The percentage of intermedial flat cells (Fig. 2) in the controls ranged from 18.78 +/- 3.67 to 36.34 +/- 8.46. After Depot ocin administration in the early puerperium, an increase in the respec tive cell numbers was recorded, cell percentage ranging from 49.34 +/- 3.93 to 52.53 +/- 1.65. In the Dirigestran group after a statisticall y significant on day 4, a slight decrease was observed on day 7 and 14 , reaching the values of days 4 and 7 after lambing, respectively (45. 22 +/- 2.40 % and 46.88 +/- 2.21 %). In the control group the numbers of convoluted intermedial cells significantly increased to day 7 after parturition (P < 0.01; P < 0.001); subsequently a significant decreas e was observed on day 25, when cell count values reached those recorde d at 36 hours post partum (4.43 +/- 3.73). After Dirigestran administr ation, a statistically significant transitory increase in cells number s (P < 0.01) was seen on day 4. On the other days the percentage of ce lls ranged from 4.78 +/- 1.23 to 8.60 +/- 5.07. In the Depotocin group cell counts were significantly increasing throughout the experiment, reaching the highest values on day 25 (20.72 3.73 %) of the puerperium . In the controls the percentage of superficial cells (Fig. 4) ranged from 5.89 +/- 1.24 to 10.6 +/- 7.23. After Depotocin no statistically significant increase was observed, and the cell count ranged from 4.74 +/- 2.57 to 10.91 +/- 1.32 %. After Depotocin administration, the cel l counts were significantly decreasing until day 7; later the cell cou nt raged from 8.66 +/- 2.27 to 15.76 +/- 3.97 %, being statistically s ignificant at P < 0.001. The lowest or missing cell counts were record ed for superficial convoluted cells (Fig. 5). They were observed on da y 14,17 and 21 after Dirigestran administration, their count ranging f rom 1.10 +/- 0.29 to 1.72 +/- 0.83 %. In the controls, the counts of c ells under observation did not exceed 3.5 % throughout the experiment. The numbers of cells under observation were significantly increased o n day 34 after Depotocin application; their percentage, however, remai ned low. The evaluation of the cell types recorded in the cytological picture of the vaginal epithelium supported the findings reported by K obilkova and Siracky (1984), and Krajnicakova et al. (1988) on low pos t partum production of gestagens. The results of our experiments sugge sted that both Dirigestran and Depotocin administration supported the postpartal regenerative ability of certain vaginal epithelial layers.