Uterine defense mechanisms in the mare: The use of intrauterine plasma in the management of endometritis.
Twenty-nine mares with either active or subclinical endometritis were treated with intrauterine infusions of their own plasma in one of two treatment schemes. Twenty-six mares actively infected, with an average of 2.4 years barren, were treated with combinations of saline irrigations and plasma infusions. Twenty-four showed clinical improvement and were bred, resulting in 15 pregnancies. Three mares with subclinical endometritis were treated post-breeding with a single plasma infusion and all became pregnant. The response to plasma infusions supports in-vitro observations which implicate serum-derived opsonins, particularly complement, as enhancers of phagocytic function.
Asbury
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Department of Reproduction College of Veterinary Medicine University of Florida Gainesville, Florida USA.