Indian Journal oj Animal Sciences 73 (I): 68-69, January 2003 Impact of uterine microbial panorama on the therapeutic efficacy of single injection of PGF p. in cows with clinical endometritis PANKAJ SOOO', SUBHASH VERMA', R C KATOCH', MADHUMEET and N K VASISHTN • Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur, Himachal Pradesh 176062 India Received: 9 July 2001; Accepted: 16 July 2002 Key words: Cows, Endometritis, PGF, a efficacy, Uterine microflora Endometritis reSUlting from bacterial infection has been preponderant in inducing infertility in cows (Dholakia el al. 1997). Among the option available for rationale treatment of endometritis, intrauterine treatment with chemotherapeutics is mostly followed. To achieve amelioration of endometritis with antibiotics it is imper<ltive to establish the bacterial sensitivity and minimum inhibitory concentration of antimicrobial agent that is often not feasible in each individual case. These constraints eQuId be overcome by adopting PG F {J. therapy in bovine endometritis. The present study contemplates to relate the efficacy of PGF/l thempy in relation to type of uterine microflora in cows manifesting clin ical endometritis. Cycling Jersey or its crossbred Red Sindhi cows (23) having clinical endometritis, majority of these being repeat breeders, were used. The animals were brought to the College Clinics from the surrounding villages. All the cows were presented during estrus and exuded abnormal genital secretions, The uterine discharge was· collected aseptically with the help of syringe and artificial insemination (AI) sheath to be processed for microbiological analysis (Cruichshank et al. 1974, Carter and Cole 1995). These cows were further examined 7 days later to confirm the presence of mature corpus luteum and subsequently 25 mg dinoprost tromethamine (5 ml lutalyse) was administered intra- muscularly. All these illlimals were re-examined after 72 hr for collection of post treatment samples and further detailed clinical assessment. The effectiveness of the treatment was adjudged on the basis of clarity and negative bacterial reports of post-treatment uterine discharge. Prevalence of endometritis due to bacteria was 82.6% while 8.7% cows were exclusively infected with an yeast, Candida, whereas in remaining 8.7% cows Candida was detected along "ith other bacteria. High frequency of bacterial involvement address: 'Assistant Professor, 'Associate Professor, ;Associate Professor and Head. Department of Animal ReproduC1ion, Gynaecology and Obstetrics; 'Assistant Professor, 'Professor and I kaLL Department orVeterinary Microbiology, College of Veterinary and Sciences. in causation of endometritis in present study corroborates with Rahman et al. (1984). They also reported bacterial isolates among repeat breeders to the tune of 70 to 100%. POfp ameliorated endometritis in 8 out of23 treated cows, with the therapeutic efficacy being 34.78%. Arthur el al. (1989) without mentioning the success rates documenred POF po as the best bet in curing endometritis in cycling cows. Likewise, Rao el al. (2001) reported PGFp to result in an overall conception rate of 77:78% among 30 repeat breeder cows. Steefan et al. (1984) recorded a therapeutic effic'acy of 49%. The above mentioned reports however remain silent about the possible factors affecting the therapeutic outcome of PGFp. The beneficial effect of PGFp may be attributed to direct uterotonic effect, reduced luteal phase during which infection proliferates and stimulation of phagocytosis by uterine leucocytes (Steefan el af. 19984), the later 2 effects primarily dominate especially when PO F P is injected during diestrus. A number of different bacteria and Candida were isolated from uterine secretions of endomerritic and repeat breeder cows (Table I). The identified microbial isolates were present .citner as single or mixed microbial infecticn. In descending order of predominance these were Staphylococcus spp. (9), Streptococcus spp. (8), Bacilllls spp. (8), Candida spp. (4), E. coli (4), Proteus spp. .. (3), Corynebaclerillfll spp. (1), Salmonella spp. (J), Klebsiella spp. (I) and Nocardia spp. (I), respectively. Out of 23 cases 8 cows had infection from 1 particular microbe out ofwhich 4 recovered (50%), while the remaining 15 cows had polymicrobial infection our of Wllich 4 cows (26.6%) had clinical recovery. Statistical difference in clinical recoveries between cows having single and mixed infection was significant (P<O.Ol). Recketts and Mackintosh (1987) postulated that in mixed infection the efficiency of natural defense mechanism is mitigated as a result of competition for opsonins that are essential for phagocytosis. This might be the plallsible reason for fewer clinical recoveries in cows witl1 polymicrobial infection. Another aspect of this study was resistance of a particu lar