Matrices metaloproteināzes, interleikīns-10, tumoru nekrotiskais faktors-α, neiropeptīdi un apoptoze govju endometrijā pēcdzemdību periodā

Cow’s uterus biopsy samples were taken in winter 2004/2005 at the research and training farm “Vecauce”. Histological investigations were performed at the Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology of Riga Stradins University. Nine cows were biopsied twice: in the first and fifth week of postparturition. The aim
of the research was to reveal inflammatory factors, neuropeptide-containing innervations, and apoptosis in the endometrium of cows in postparturition period. The results showed significant increase in the number of inflammatory cells, TNF-α, and apoptotic cells in endometrium between first and fifth week after parturition (p<0.01). A mild positive correlation was found between the number of apoptotic cells and macrophages in endometrium (r= 0.54; p<0.1). In cow’s endometrium, expression of MMP-2 was observed in macrophages, but it was not characteristic of processes in the cow’s uterus in postparturition period. Compared to MMP-2 expression, MMP-9 expression was significantly higher (p<0.05) and was characteristic of cow’s uterus in postparturition. No statistically significant correlation was found between cells expressing IL-10, MMP-2, MMP-9, TNF-α, and PGP 9.5. A mild positive correlation (r=0.52; p<0.05) between the number of TNF-α positive cells and infiltration of endometrium with inflammatory cells was detected. A mild positive correlation (r=0.58; p<0.05) was observed between the number of TNF-α and apoptotic cells in the cows’ endometrium. PGP 9.5 containing nerve fibers appeared around endometrial glands, walls of blood vessels, and in submucosal tissue and did not correlate with tissue infiltration by inflammatory cells, possibly due to the weakness of the immune system of individual animals.