title: Influence of seminal plasma on leucocyte migration and amount of COX-2 protein in the jenny endometrium after insemination with frozen-thawed semen.
abstract: After mating, seminal plasma has an immuno-modulatory effect on the endometrium in some mammals. In jennies, achieving conception via artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed semen is generally much more difficult than in mares. The endometrial inflammatory response is hypothesized to be a contributing factor to the lesser fertility. Following a cross-over experimental design, the uterine inflammatory response of six jennies was evaluated at 6h after AI with frozen-thawed semen (deposited in the uterine body) in the presence or absence of autologous seminal plasma (+SP or -SP). The endometrial cytology and histology of the animals were examined by uterine lavage, uterine swabbing and biopsy. The amount of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein in endometrial cells was also evaluated. As a control (C), the same examinations were made before any AI procedure (i.e., when the jennies were in oestrus). Large numbers of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) were observed in the -SP and +SP cytology and biopsy samples; more than in the C samples. The -SP samples also had intense COX-2 labelling; less labelling was detected in the +SP and C samples (no significant difference between these latter two types). Thus, while the presence of SP does not change the post-AI number of PMNs with regard to that detected in its absence, it does reduce COX-2 protein. Further research into the complex mix of molecules in SP and its effects during AI might help increase the pregnancy rates achieved in jennies.
authors.affiliation: Equine Reproduction Service, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vilés
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rabanal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Prado
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Miró
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte; D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D004717:Endometrium / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D006736:Horses / Q000378:metabolism; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010060:Ovulation / Q000378:metabolism; D011247:Pregnancy; D012661:Semen / Q000502:physiology*; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000662:veterinary
chemical_list: D051546:Cyclooxygenase 2
keywords: Artificial insemination; Donkey; Frozen semen; Post mating induced endometritis; Seminal plasma