Practical experience with the treatment of recipient mares with a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug in an equine embryo transfer programme.

As part of a commercial embryo transfer programme, 20 embryos were transferred to spontaneously synchronous or synchronized recipient mares. In 14 cases, embryo recipients were treated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID), receiving flunixin meglumine i.v. at the time of transfer and vedaprofen orally twice a day on the 3 days after embryo transfer, while six embryos were transferred to untreated mares that served as controls. Out of the 14 recipient mares treated with NSAID, 11 (79%) were pregnant at 6-8 days after transfer and in 10 mares, the pregnancy was continued. From the six untreated recipients, only one became pregnant but underwent early embryonic death between day 14 and 35 after ovulation. In conclusion, pregnancy rate in NSAID-treated recipients is higher than that in untreated recipients and above reported average values, indicating that treatment of recipient mares with NSAID helps to increase pregnancy rates after transcervical transfer and can be recommended for equine embryo transfer.

Embryo transfer induces a subclinical endometritis in recipient mares which can be prevented by treatment with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs.

We tested the hypothesis that subclinical endometritis occurs after embryo transfer (ET) in the horse. Recipient mares were treated with meclofenamic acid (M) or flunixin meglumin (F) after ET or were left untreated (n=9 per group). Embryos were re-collected 4 days after transfer. Endometrial biopsies were taken for histology and analysis of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) by immunohistochemistry and for PCR. Bacteriological swabs were collected from the uterus and lavage fluid of donor and recipient mares. Progesterone and prostaglandin F(2alpha) release was analysed in recipient mares after ET. Four days after ET, four embryos were recovered from group M and three from group F and untreated mares, each. The number of polymorph nuclear neutrophils was reduced in treated mares (p<0.05). Expression of mRNA for inflammatory cytokines did not differ between groups. In group M, expression of endometrial prostaglandin-E-synthase was higher than in group F (p<0.05). Three out of nine control mares underwent preterm luteolysis (p<0.05 vs. treatment groups), prostaglandin release (p<0.05) and the number of COX-2 positive cells (p<0.01) were significantly higher than in treated mares. Only few bacteriological swabs were positive. In conclusion, treatment of embryo recipient mares with non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs inhibits the inflammatory response of the endometrium after ET. Meclofenamic acid may have advantages in comparison to flunixin meglumin due to a different influence on prostaglandin synthesis that may not result in inhibition of embryonic mobility.

Effect of a dietary antioxidant supplementation on semen quality in pony stallions.

Lipid peroxidation contributes to the damage of the sperm plasma membrane. In different species, dietary supplementation with antioxidants has been shown to improve semen quality. Therefore, we tested effects of dietary supplementation with antioxidants and l-carnitin on semen quality in Shetland pony stallions (n=6). Semen was collected twice a week over a time period of 16 weeks. From weeks 5 to 12, a special diet for stallions containing a variety of antioxidants (STALLION, Pavo Pferdenahrung GmbH, Goch, Germany; tocopherol 300 mg/day; ascorbic acid 300 mg/day; l-carnitin 4000 mg/day; folic acid 12 mg/day) was added to the basal diet (hay, mineral supplements, water). Ejaculates were evaluated for total sperm count, semen motility (percentage of totally and progressively motile spermatozoa, longevity for 24 h at 5 degrees C) and membrane integrity (SYBR-14/PI staining): All values given are means+/-S.E.M. No changes in motility, progressive motility and membrane integrity or semen longevity for 24 h were detected. A slight but significant reduction of morphologically abnormal spermatozoa was found (weeks 1-4: 43.7+/-7.1%; weeks 13-16: 39.4+/-7.2%, p<0.05). Results show that a supplementary diet with antioxidants in the given concentration and duration does not result in pronounced effects on semen quality of stallions. It is therefore questionable to support stallions with dietary antioxidants as long as they receive an adequately balanced basal diet.