Reproduction in Domestic Animals - Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias

16 t h International Congress on Animal Reproduction
Poster Abstracts 53
As conclusion the BCSc could be associated positively with the ZICS
and inversely with the time of ovarian activity postpartum.
P076
Evaluation of COX-2 and PGES gene expression in whole
blood during the peripartum of dairy cows
Silva, E 1 ; Gaivão, M 1 ; Leitão, S 1 ; Costa, L 1 ; Mateus, L 1 *
1Department of Reproduction and Obstetrics, C.I.I.S.A., Faculty of Veterinary
Medicine, Portugal
During the peripartum period dairy cows are immunosupressed and
predisposed to develop uterine infections. This has been associated to
abnormal leukocyte function and to changes in neutrophil gene
expression. High intra-uterine levels of prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2) were
associated with delayed uterine involution and with the severity and
persistence of endometritis. PGE 2 production is stimulated by LPS of
gram-negative bacteria that contaminate the puerperal uterus and act
as a mediator of the inflammatory response. PGE 2 synthesis is
accomplished by cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) and prostaglandin E
synthase (PGES) . The objectives of this study were to evaluate in
whole blood: i) the pattern of COX-2 and PGES gene expression
during the peripartum period and, ii) the gene expression response to
LPS stimulation during peripartum.
Blood was collected from 17 dairy cows (9 had a normal puerperium
and 8 developed uterine infection) at 1 and 2 weeks before parturition
(wbp), at parturition and at 1 week after parturition. COX-2 and PGES
gene expression, before and after whole blood stimulation with LPS,
were quantified by Real Time PCR. Results were normalized with the
housekeeping gene ß2MG.
COX-2 gene expression decreased until 6 hours before parturition and
then significantly increased (p