Volume: 4, 2025
4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland:
ENVIRONMENT – PLANT – ANIMAL – PRODUCT
Abstract number: A007
DOI: https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.A007
Published online: 9 April 2025
ICDSUPL, 4, A007 (2025)
Local uterine immunity in cows and influence of sex hormones
Katarzyna Głodkowska1*, Piotr Brodzki1
1 Department and Clinic of Animal Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Głęboka 30, 20-612 Lublin, Poland
* Corresponding author: katarzyna.glodkowska@up.lublin.pl
Abstract
Inflammations of the uterus are a common problem in dairy cows. The state of local immunity in the uterus is crucial in preventing the development of uterine inflammations and also in their treatment. A better understanding of the mechanisms of local uterine immunity and how it is affected by sex hormones is important for the development of new disease prevention and treatment protocols. Local uterine immunity is particularly important in the postpartum period, when the risk of uterine inflammation is highest. The primary defence mechanism against pathogens in the cow’s uterus is phagocytosis. Specialised phagocytic cells such as polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs), monocytes and macrophages, which are part of innate mechanisms but also migrate from the blood to the site of inflammation as a specific response, play an important role. In addition to engulfing pathogens and killing them intracellularly, the role of these cells in the postnatal period and in advanced inflammation is to remove dead tissue. Changes in hormonal activity associated with the ovarian cycle in dairy cows can affect the state of local immunity in the uterus. During the luteal phase of the cycle, the uterus is more susceptible to the development of infections due to the predominant role of progesterone compared to the follicular phase where there is a higher concentration of oestrogen. It has been shown that experimental uterine infection with E. coli and A. pyogenes is much easier in the luteal phase of the ovarian cycle than in the follicular phase. As the corpus luteum develops, progesterone levels increase, reducing prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and leukotriene B4 (LTB4) to basal levels and making the uterus more susceptible to infection. A negative effect of progesterone on uterine immunity has also been described, by stimulating the synthesis of serpins in the uterus, which are inhibitors of serine proteinase important for lymphocyte proliferation. Progesterone stimulates prostaglandin synthase activity, thereby increasing the concentration of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), a pro-inflammatory factor that predisposes the uterus to inflammation. At the same time, progesterone reduces levels of PGF2α, which improves the phagocytic capacity of neutrophils and also stimulates their chemotaxis. It is also thought to stimulate the production of leukotrienes in the uterus, which also have chemotactic properties and stimulate antibody-independent cytotoxic cells. Although the production of PGF2α in the uterine mucosa and submucosa is significantly increased after parturition in cows with uterine infections, its serum level is lower in cows with uterine inflammation than in cows without inflammation. While not fully understood, PGF2α has been used in the treatment of all types of uterine inflammation in cows.
Keywords: cows, local immunity, uterus
How to cite
K. Głodkowska, P. Brodzki, 2025. Local uterine immunity in cows and influence of sex hormones. In: 4th International PhD Student’s Conference at the University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland: Environment – Plant – Animal – Product. https://doi.org/10.24326/ICDSUPL4.A007