Review: Postpartum reproductive disease and fertility in dairy cows

LeBlanc, S.J.

doi:10.1016/j.animal.2023.100781

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 93 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Also, the occurrence of retained placenta was more frequent in surgical cases [ 18 ]. There has been little research interest in post-partal ovine uterine pathology, but clinical and subclinical endometritis, often caused by intrauterine contamination or retained placenta, have been extensively studied in cattle, and long-lasting negative effects on fertility have been described in this species, as recently reviewed by LeBlanc [ 26 ]. For instance, inflammation leads to the creation of unfavourable conditions for sperm survival, zygote development, implantation, and placentation, as well as negatively affecting ovarian and endocrine functions [ 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Elective Caesarean Sections in Healthy Near-Term Ewes on Subsequent Reproductive Performance

Voigt,

Theisges,

Zablotski

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Post-surgical reproductive performance following ovine caesarean section has not been well studied. To assess any direct effects of surgical delivery in the absence of confounders such as dystocia or underlying diseases, we studied elective surgery performed in healthy animals for teaching purposes. Four hundred and eleven paired breeding records following vaginal delivery (n = 233), elective caesarean section (n = 122), and subsequent further vaginal deliveries in animals with a history of one prior elective caesarean operation (n = 56) were evaluated retrospectively. The overall subsequent pregnancy rate was 95%. Multivariable statistical analyses did not reveal any significant influence of planned caesarean surgery on subsequent conception, stillbirth, perinatal lamb mortality, lamb birth weights, or the incidence of premature foetal death (mummification and abortion). A significantly higher number of mating attempts was, however, necessary. Also, a significant reduction in litter size was seen in the first pregnancy immediately following a surgical delivery in comparison to animals which had previously only delivered vaginally (p = 0.001), but litter size returned to pre-caesarean levels in further follow-up pregnancies in animals with a history of one elective caesarean section (p = 0.436). Subsequent long-term reproductive performance of sheep following elective caesarean section is thus excellent, and the results encourage retention for breeding.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Elective Caesarean Sections in Healthy Near-Term Ewes on Subsequent Reproductive Performance

Voigt,

Theisges,

Zablotski

et al. 2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Because this study only reported data from ewes with positive reproductive outcomes, the increase in the ewe vaginal microbial diversity over the course of gestation presumably is associated with successfully established pregnancies. In addition, more diverse communities may add more resiliency to the vaginal microbiota, allowing the microbes to respond to external factors while avoiding deficits in host health ( LeBlanc, 2023 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal changes in ewe vaginal microbiota throughout gestation

Cassas,

Jonas,

Anderson

et al. 2024

Front. Microbiol.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

IntroductionNumerous factors are known to influence reproductive efficiency in ewes, but few studies have investigated the potential role of vaginal microbiota in sheep reproductive success. The objective of this study was to thoroughly characterize the ewe vaginal microbiota throughout the course of pregnancy.MethodsVaginal samples were collected from 31 pregnant Hampshire and Hampshire X Suffolk crossbred ewes on a weekly basis from pre-breeding to pregnancy testing and then biweekly until just after lambing. To characterize the vaginal microbial communities, DNA was extracted and 16S rRNA gene Illumina MiSeq amplicon sequencing was performed.Results and DiscussionAlpha diversity metrics indicated an increase in species richness, evenness, and overall diversity throughout gestation. Distinct shifts in the bacterial communities were observed during gestation and were segregated into three periods: early gestation, a transitional period and mid/late gestation. During early gestation, Actinobacillus, Histophilus, and unclassified Leptotrichiaceae were found in greater relative abundance. During the transitional period, a population shift occurred characterized by increasing relative abundance of Streptococcus and Staphylococcus. During mid/late gestation, Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, and Ureaplasma had the greatest relative abundance. These shifts in the microbial population throughout the ewe’s gestation are likely related to hormonal changes triggered by the growing conceptus, specifically increasing blood concentration of progesterone. The transitional period shift in vaginal microbial communities potentially aligns with the placental take-over of progesterone production from the corpus luteum at approximately day 50 after conception (gestational week 7). Understanding the observed variability of the vaginal microbiota throughout pregnancy will allow for future comparison of ewes that did not become pregnant or had abnormal pregnancies, which could lead to the discovery of potential bacterial biomarkers for pregnancy outcome; this understanding could also lead to development of probiotics to improve sheep reproductive success.

show abstract

“…Despite the success achieved by reproductive programs that target early return to cyclicity at first service, reproductive success in lactating dairy cows remains suboptimal due to factors that contribute to early embryonic loss. Amongst these factors is the failure of the endometrium to support the establishment of pregnancy, which can be attributed to simultaneous endocrine disruption and persistent local inflammation (LeBlanc, 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adenomyosis and fibrosis define the morphological memory of the postpartum uterus of dairy cows previously exposed to metritis

Sellmer Ramos,

Caldeira,

Poock

et al. 2024

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Optimal reproductive success following parturition in lactating dairy cows is dependent upon adequate completion of uterine involution. Failure to resolve pathogenic bacterial contamination within the first week postpartum can lead to uterine disease (metritis). Metritis is associated with decreased fertility and a failure or delay to establish pregnancy. We hypothesized that the inflammation resulting from early postpartum metritis would be associated with long-term changes in uterine morphology due to impaired uterine involution within the first 30 days postpartum (dpp). First parity Holstein cows were diagnosed with or without metritis at 7-10 dpp and uterine tissue were analyzed at 30 (Exp. 1), or 80 and 165 (Exp. 2) dpp for the presence of abnormal morphology, including abnormal invasion of endometrial glands and stroma into the myometrium (adenomyosis) using immunohistochemistry for FOXA2 (uterine gland specific marker) and presence of late postpartum endometrial fibrosis using mason’s trichrome stain (MTS). Severity of adenomyosis was determined by the number and size of adenomyotic foci, distance of foci from the endometrium-myometrium interface (EMI), and degree of fibrosis (MTS stain intensity). The presence, size, and distance from the EMI of adenomyotic foci were greater later postpartum and in cows with early postpartum diagnosis of metritis. Endometrial fibrosis was greater at the stratum basalis (at EMI) compared to the stratum compactum endometrium (near lumen) for all Exp. 2 cows, but greater endometrial fibrosis (regardless of endometrial region) was observed in cows that were diagnosed with metritis. Taken together, these data indicate that early postpartum metritis is associated with long-term modifications to the postpartum uterine morphology, including aberrant endometrial invasion into the myometrium (adenomyosis) and increased pathological fibrogenesis, leading to the presence of late postpartum endometrial fibrosis (scar tissue). Additionally, increased collagen fiber at the EMI suggests a correlation between the development of adenomyosis and fibrosis, which could possibly result from sustained endometrial inflammation caused by uterine disease.

show abstract

Review: Postpartum reproductive disease and fertility in dairy cows

Cited by 14 publications

References 93 publications

Effects of Elective Caesarean Sections in Healthy Near-Term Ewes on Subsequent Reproductive Performance

Effects of Elective Caesarean Sections in Healthy Near-Term Ewes on Subsequent Reproductive Performance

Temporal changes in ewe vaginal microbiota throughout gestation

Adenomyosis and fibrosis define the morphological memory of the postpartum uterus of dairy cows previously exposed to metritis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About