Uterine response to multiple inoculations with Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Escherichia coli in nulliparous ewes.
OBJECTIVE
Uterine infections seem more severe in nulliparous animals. Our objective was to determine whether intrauterine inoculation of nulliparous ewes with Arcanobacterium pyogenes and Escherichia coli would produce an antibody response and reduce the severity of subsequent infections.


METHODS
Nulliparous ewes (n = 9/treatment) received (i) 'primary intrauterine inoculation' with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and 'secondary intrauterine inoculation' with PBS; (ii) primary PBS-secondary 75 x 10(7) cfu of A. pyogenes and 35 x 10(7) cfu of E. coli (PBS-Bacteria); (iii) primary bacteria-secondary PBS; or (iv) primary bacteria-secondary bacteria (Bacteria-Bacteria).


RESULTS
Inoculations evoked an antibody response. Postmortem examinations 6 days after the secondary inoculation indicated that PBS-treated ewes did not develop uterine infections, but all bacteria-treated ewes did. Infections were either less severe or closer to resolution in Bacteria-Bacteria than they were in PBS-Bacteria ewes.


CONCLUSIONS
Intrauterine inoculation of nulliparous ewes with A. pyogenes and E. coli evokes an antibody response that may help the uterus reduce the severity of subsequent infections.
Wulster-Radcliffe
Meghan C
MC
Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
Seals
Richard C
RC
Lewis
Gregory S
GS
D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000276:immunology; D003354:Corynebacterium Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D003355:Corynebacterium pyogenes / Q000276:immunology*; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000276:immunology*; D004927:Escherichia coli Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D010298:Parity / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012756:Sheep / Q000276:immunology*; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D014599:Uterus