Effect of surgical manipulation, placental fluid, and flunixin meglumine on fetal viability and prostaglandin F2 alpha release in the gravid uterus of mares.
Twenty-one pregnant mares with single or twin conceptuses between 41 and 65 days of gestational age were allotted to 5 treatment groups. A ventral median celiotomy was performed in all mares. In group-1 mares (3 mares, single conceptus), the uterus and fetus were palpated for 5 minutes. In group-2 mares (3 mares, single conceptus, flunixin meglumine), 250 ml of sterile placental fluid was injected into the nongravid uterine horn. In group-3 mares (4 mares, unicornuate twin conceptuses), group-4 mares (3 mares, unicornuate twin conceptuses, flunixin meglumine), and group-5 mares (8 mares, bicornuate twin conceptuses, flunixin meglumine), 1 conceptus was removed from the uterus via hysterotomy. All mares received progesterone prophylactically until day 100 of gestation or until the fetus died. The 3 mares in group 1 delivered clinically normal, live foals. The mean prostaglandin F2 alpha metabolite (PGFM) plasma concentration peaked at 180 +/- 5.2 pg/ml during uterine manipulation and fetal palpation, then declined to baseline by 1 hour. Free placental fluid (group 2) undermined the chorioallantois ventrally and resulted in fetal death within 3 hours after surgery. The mean PGFM plasma concentration peaked at 39 +/- 4 pg/ml following injection of placental fluid. None of the remaining fetuses in the 7 mares with unicornuate twin conceptuses (groups 3 and 4) survived. Five mares with unicornuate twin conceptuses (group 5) delivered single viable foals. In another mare in group 5, the fetus was alive 4 days after surgery, when the mare was euthanatized for a fractured femur.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Pascoe
D R
DR
Department of Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
Stover
S M
SM
D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000662:veterinary; D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids; D003002:Clonixin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005328:Fetal Viability / Q000187:drug effects; D005865:Gestational Age; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery; D009539:Nicotinic Acids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010173:Palpation / Q000662:veterinary; D010920:Placenta / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014599:Uterus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery
D009539:Nicotinic Acids; C014558:flunixin meglumine; D015237:Dinoprost; D003002:Clonixin