Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows

ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the use of intravaginal probiotics prepartum on the incidence risk of metritis postpartum and conception risk after first artificial insemination (AI). A total of 606 Holstein cows were enrolled 3 wk before their expected calving d...

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Main Authors: A.M.L. Madureira, T.A. Burnett, C.T. Boyd, M. Baylão, R.L.A. Cerri
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-07-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223002291
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author A.M.L. Madureira
T.A. Burnett
C.T. Boyd
M. Baylão
R.L.A. Cerri
author_facet A.M.L. Madureira
T.A. Burnett
C.T. Boyd
M. Baylão
R.L.A. Cerri
author_sort A.M.L. Madureira
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the use of intravaginal probiotics prepartum on the incidence risk of metritis postpartum and conception risk after first artificial insemination (AI). A total of 606 Holstein cows were enrolled 3 wk before their expected calving date from 2 farms. Cows were randomly assigned to either receive a 2-mL dose of a combination of 3 lactic acid bacteria (probiotic treatment) washed with approximately 2 mL of a sterile saline solution, into the vaginal canal twice weekly until parturition, or no intervention (control). Metritis diagnoses were carried out on 6 and 12 d postpartum. Vaginal discharge and rectal temperature were assessed, and vaginal discharge was scored on a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = clear and 4 = fetid, purulent discharge. Metritis was defined as cows having a vaginal discharge score of 4 with or without fever (rectal temperature ≥39.5°C) on either 6 or 12 d postpartum, or both. Cows were bred after a 60-d voluntary waiting period primarily via the detection of estrus using automated activity monitors; cows not found in estrus were enrolled onto timed AI protocols to receive first breeding before 100 DIM. Pregnancy diagnosis was carried out at d 35 ± 7 post-AI on both farms. Data were analyzed via ANOVA using linear mixed regression models and survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazard model. Total incidence risk of metritis was 23.7% and 34.4% on farm A and farm B, respectively. Overall, the incidence of metritis was not different between treatment groups (control: 41.6 ± 3.8%; probiotic: 38.6 ± 4.0%); however, an interaction by farm was detected, where the probiotic treatment reduced metritis on one farm but not on the other. Conception risk after first AI was not affected by treatment. However, we detected an interaction between parity and treatment, where multiparous cows receiving the probiotic treatment were more likely to become pregnant compared with multiparous cows within the control group (hazard ratio: 1.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.60); no effect of probiotic treatment was found on the hazard of pregnancy for primiparous cows. In addition, the probiotic treatment was associated with an increased proportion of cows being detected in estrus for the first AI postpartum. In conclusion, vaginal probiotic treatment applied during the 3 wk prepartum was associated with a decreased incidence of metritis on one farm but not the other, suggesting that farm management may be a key player influencing treatment efficacy. Overall, probiotic treatment was found to have only limited effects on fertility in the current study.
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spelling doaj.art-828219683b7948f790832e3de6e2cdd92023-06-17T05:17:06ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022023-07-01106748604873Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cowsA.M.L. Madureira0T.A. Burnett1C.T. Boyd2M. Baylão3R.L.A. Cerri4Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4; University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON, Canada N0P 2C0Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4; Corresponding authorABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the use of intravaginal probiotics prepartum on the incidence risk of metritis postpartum and conception risk after first artificial insemination (AI). A total of 606 Holstein cows were enrolled 3 wk before their expected calving date from 2 farms. Cows were randomly assigned to either receive a 2-mL dose of a combination of 3 lactic acid bacteria (probiotic treatment) washed with approximately 2 mL of a sterile saline solution, into the vaginal canal twice weekly until parturition, or no intervention (control). Metritis diagnoses were carried out on 6 and 12 d postpartum. Vaginal discharge and rectal temperature were assessed, and vaginal discharge was scored on a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = clear and 4 = fetid, purulent discharge. Metritis was defined as cows having a vaginal discharge score of 4 with or without fever (rectal temperature ≥39.5°C) on either 6 or 12 d postpartum, or both. Cows were bred after a 60-d voluntary waiting period primarily via the detection of estrus using automated activity monitors; cows not found in estrus were enrolled onto timed AI protocols to receive first breeding before 100 DIM. Pregnancy diagnosis was carried out at d 35 ± 7 post-AI on both farms. Data were analyzed via ANOVA using linear mixed regression models and survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazard model. Total incidence risk of metritis was 23.7% and 34.4% on farm A and farm B, respectively. Overall, the incidence of metritis was not different between treatment groups (control: 41.6 ± 3.8%; probiotic: 38.6 ± 4.0%); however, an interaction by farm was detected, where the probiotic treatment reduced metritis on one farm but not on the other. Conception risk after first AI was not affected by treatment. However, we detected an interaction between parity and treatment, where multiparous cows receiving the probiotic treatment were more likely to become pregnant compared with multiparous cows within the control group (hazard ratio: 1.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.10–1.60); no effect of probiotic treatment was found on the hazard of pregnancy for primiparous cows. In addition, the probiotic treatment was associated with an increased proportion of cows being detected in estrus for the first AI postpartum. In conclusion, vaginal probiotic treatment applied during the 3 wk prepartum was associated with a decreased incidence of metritis on one farm but not the other, suggesting that farm management may be a key player influencing treatment efficacy. Overall, probiotic treatment was found to have only limited effects on fertility in the current study.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223002291lactic acid bacteriauterine healthfertility
spellingShingle A.M.L. Madureira
T.A. Burnett
C.T. Boyd
M. Baylão
R.L.A. Cerri
Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
Journal of Dairy Science
lactic acid bacteria
uterine health
fertility
title Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
title_full Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
title_fullStr Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
title_full_unstemmed Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
title_short Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
title_sort use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows
topic lactic acid bacteria
uterine health
fertility
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223002291
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