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Virendra A, Gulavane SU, Ahmed ZA, Reddy R, Chaudhari RJ, Gaikwad SM, Shelar RR, Ingole SD, Thorat VD, Khanam A, Khan FA. Metagenomic analysis unravels novel taxonomic differences in the uterine microbiome between healthy mares and mares with endometritis. Vet Med Sci 2024; 10:e1369. [PMID: 38357732 PMCID: PMC10867593 DOI: 10.1002/vms3.1369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 12/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The application of high throughput technologies has enabled unravelling of unique differences between healthy mares and mares with endometritis at transcriptomic and proteomic levels. However, differences in the uterine microbiome are yet to be investigated. OBJECTIVES The present study was aimed at evaluating the differences in uterine microbiome between healthy mares and mares with endometritis. METHODS Low-volume lavage (LVL) samples were collected from the uterus of 30 mares classified into healthy (n = 15) and endometritis (n = 15) based on their reproductive history, intrauterine fluid accumulation, gross appearance of LVL samples, endometrial cytology and bacterial culture. The samples were subjected to 16S rRNA sequencing. RESULTS Notable differences in the uterine microbiome were observed between healthy mares and mares with endometritis at various taxonomic levels. In healthy mares, the most abundant phylum, class, order and family were Firmicutes, Bacilli, Bacillales and Paenibacillaceae, respectively. In contrast, the most abundant corresponding taxonomic levels in mares with endometritis were Proteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Enterobacterales and Enterobacteriaceae, respectively. At the genus level, Brevibacillus and Paenibacillus were more abundant in healthy mares, whereas Escherichia, Salmonella and Klebsiella were more abundant in mares with endometritis. In healthy mares, Brevibacillus brevis was the most abundant species, followed by Brevibacillus choshinensis and Paenibacillus sp JDR-2. However, in mares with endometritis, Escherichia coli was the most abundant species, followed by Salmonella enterica and Klebsiella pneumoniae. CONCLUSIONS These results confirmed the previously reported presence of a uterine microbiome in healthy mares and helped unravel some alterations that occur in mares with endometritis. The findings can potentially help formulate new approaches to prevent or treat equine endometritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aeknath Virendra
- Department of Animal ReproductionGynecology and ObstetricsMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Sarita U. Gulavane
- Department of Animal ReproductionGynecology and ObstetricsMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | | | - Ravi Reddy
- Nanoli Stud and Agricultural FarmPuneMaharashtraIndia
| | - Ravindra J. Chaudhari
- Department of Animal ReproductionGynecology and ObstetricsMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Sandeep M. Gaikwad
- Department of Animal ReproductionGynecology and ObstetricsMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Raju R. Shelar
- Department of Animal ReproductionGynecology and ObstetricsMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Shailesh D. Ingole
- Department of Veterinary PhysiologyMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Varsha D. Thorat
- Department of Veterinary MicrobiologyMumbai Veterinary CollegeMumbaiMaharashtraIndia
| | - Afroza Khanam
- Department of Large Animal Medicine and SurgerySchool of Veterinary MedicineSt. George's UniversityGrenadaWest Indies
| | - Firdous A. Khan
- Department of Large Animal Medicine and SurgerySchool of Veterinary MedicineSt. George's UniversityGrenadaWest Indies
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Akthar I, Kim Y, Umehara T, Kanno C, Sasaki M, Marey MA, Yousef MS, Haneda S, Shimada M, Miyamoto A. Activation of sperm Toll-like receptor 2 induces hyperactivation to enhance the penetration to mucus and uterine glands: a trigger for the uterine inflammatory cascade in cattle. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1319572. [PMID: 38179051 PMCID: PMC10766357 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1319572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
It is known that sperm and seminal plasma (SP) affect uterine immunity. In cattle, artificial insemination enables breeding by depositing frozen and largely diluted sperm with a negligible amount of SP into the uterus. Thus, the present study focused on the impact of frozen-thawed sperm on bovine uterine immunity. We have previously shown that in the bovine uterus, sperm swim smoothly over the luminal epithelium and some sperm interact with uterine glands to induce a weak inflammatory response mainly via the endometrial Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) signaling. However, the process by which sperm is encountered in the uterine glands is not completely clear. The present study intended to evaluate the role of sperm-TLR2 in sperm-uterine mucus penetration for reaching the glandular epithelium to induce the uterine immune response. To activate and block sperm-TLR2, they were treated with TLR2 agonist and antagonist, respectively. TLR2 activation enhanced sperm hyperactivation and improved its capacity to penetrate the artificial viscoelastic fluid and estrous-uterine-mucus. In contrast, TLR2-blocked sperm showed completely opposite effects. It is noteworthy, that the TLR2-activated sperm that penetrated the uterine mucus exhibited increased motile activity with hyperactivation. In the sperm-endometrial ex-vivo model, a greater amount of TLR2-activated sperm entered the uterine glands with an immune response, which was seen as the upregulation of mRNA expression for TNFA, IL1B, IL8, PGES, and TLR2 similar to those in control sperm. On the other hand, a lesser amount of TLR2-blocked sperm entered the uterine glands and weakened the sperm-induced increase only in PGES, suggesting that penetration of a certain number of sperm in the uterine gland is necessary enough to trigger the inflammatory response. Altogether, the present findings indicate that activation of sperm-TLR2 promotes their hyperactivation and mucus penetration with greater motility, allowing them to enter into the uterine glands more. This further suggests that the hyperactivated sperm contributes to triggering the pro-inflammatory cascade partly via TLR2 in the uterus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ihshan Akthar
- Global Agromedicine Research Center (GAMRC), Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Yejin Kim
- Global Agromedicine Research Center (GAMRC), Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Takashi Umehara
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Chihiro Kanno
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Kitasato University, Towada, Japan
| | - Motoki Sasaki
- Department of Basic Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Mohamed Ali Marey
- Global Agromedicine Research Center (GAMRC), Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhur University, Behera, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Samy Yousef
- Global Agromedicine Research Center (GAMRC), Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt
| | - Shingo Haneda
- Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
| | - Masayuki Shimada
- Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Akio Miyamoto
- Global Agromedicine Research Center (GAMRC), Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan
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Basbas C, Garzon A, Schlesener C, van Heule M, Profeta R, Weimer BC, Silva-Del-Rio N, Byrne BA, Karle B, Aly SS, Lima FS, Pereira RV. Unveiling the microbiome during post-partum uterine infection: a deep shotgun sequencing approach to characterize the dairy cow uterine microbiome. Anim Microbiome 2023; 5:59. [PMID: 37986012 PMCID: PMC10662892 DOI: 10.1186/s42523-023-00281-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The goal of this study was to assess the microbial ecology and diversity present in the uterus of post-partum dairy cows with and without metritis from 24 commercial California dairy farms using shotgun metagenomics. A set subset of 95 intrauterine swab samples, taken from a larger selection of 307 individual cow samples previously collected, were examined for α and β diversity and differential abundance associated with metritis. Cows within 21 days post-partum were categorized into one of three clinical groups during sample collection: control (CT, n = 32), defined as cows with either no vaginal discharge or a clear, non-purulent mucus vaginal discharge; metritis (MET, n = 33), defined as a cow with watery, red or brown colored, and fetid vaginal discharge; and purulent discharge cows (PUS, n = 31), defined as a non-fetid purulent or mucopurulent vaginal discharge. RESULTS All three clinical groups (CT, MET, and PUS) were highly diverse, with the top 12 most abundant genera accounting for 10.3%, 8.8%, and 10.1% of mean relative abundance, respectively. The α diversity indices revealed a lower diversity from samples collected from MET and PUS when compared to CT cows. PERMANOVA statistical testing revealed a significant difference (P adjusted < 0.01) in the diversity of genera between CT and MET samples (R2 = 0.112, P = 0.003) and a non-significant difference between MET and PUS samples (R2 = 0.036, P = 0.046). ANCOM-BC analysis revealed that from the top 12 most abundant genera, seven genera were increased in the natural log fold change (LFC) of abundance in MET when compared to CT samples: Bacteroides, Clostridium, Fusobacterium, Phocaeicola, Porphyromonas, Prevotella, and Streptococcus. Two genera, Dietzia and Microbacterium, were decreased in natural LFC of abundance when comparing MET (regardless of treatment) and CT, while no changes in natural LFC of abundance were observed for Escherichia, Histophilus, and Trueperella. CONCLUSIONS The results presented here, are the current deepest shotgun metagenomic analyses conducted on the bovine uterine microbiome to date (mean of 256,425 genus-level reads per sample). Our findings support that uterine samples from cows without metritis (CT) had increased α-diversity but decreased β-diversity when compared to metritis or PUS cows, characteristic of dysbiosis. In summary, our findings highlight that MET cows have an increased abundance of Bacteroides, Porphyromonas, and Fusobacterium when compared to CT and PUS, and support the need for further studies to better understand their potential causal role in metritis pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Basbas
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Adriana Garzon
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Cory Schlesener
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- 100K Pathogen Genome Project, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Machteld van Heule
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Department of Morphology, Imaging, Orthopedics, Rehabilitation and Nutrition, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Ghent, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Rodrigo Profeta
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Bart C Weimer
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- 100K Pathogen Genome Project, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Noelia Silva-Del-Rio
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Barbara A Byrne
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Betsy Karle
- Cooperative Extension, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California, Orland, CA, USA
| | - Sharif S Aly
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
- Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, Tulare, CA, USA
| | - Fabio S Lima
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Richard V Pereira
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
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Diaz-Lundahl S, Nørstebø SF, Klem TB, Gilfillan GD, Dalland M, Gillund P, Krogenæs A. The microbiota of uterine biopsies, cytobrush and vaginal swabs at artificial insemination in Norwegian red cows. Theriogenology 2023; 209:115-125. [PMID: 37390751 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.06.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The individual resistance or tolerance against uterine disease in dairy cattle might be related to variations in the uterine tract microbiota. The uterine tract microbiota in dairy cattle is a field of increasing interest. However, its specific taxonomy and functional aspects is under-explored, and information about the microbiota in the endometrium at artificial insemination (AI) is still missing. Although uterine bacteria are likely to be introduced via the vaginal route, it has also been suggested that pathogens can be transferred to the uterus via a hematogenous route. Thus, the microbiota in different layers of the uterine wall may differ. Norwegian Red (NR) is a high fertility breed that also has a high prevalence of subclinical endometritis (SCE), an inflammation of the uterus that has a negative effect on dairy cattle fertility. However, in this breed the negative effect is only moderate, raising the question of whether this may be due to a favorable microbiota. In the present study we investigated the endometrial microbiota in NR at AI by biopsy and cytobrush samples, and comparing this to the vaginal microflora. The second objective was to describe potential differences at both distinct depths of the endometrium, in healthy vs SCE positive NR cows. We sampled 24 lactating and clinically healthy Norwegian red cows in their second heat or more after calving, presented for first AI. First, we obtained a vaginal swab and a cytobrush sample, in addition to a cytotape to investigate the animal's uterine health status with respect to SCE. Secondly, we acquired a biopsy sample from the uterine endometrium. Bacterial DNA from the 16S rRNA gene was extracted and sequenced with Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 region. Alpha and beta diversity and taxonomic composition was investigated. Our results showed that the microbiota of endometrial biopsies was qualitatively different and more even than that of cytobrush and vaginal swab samples. The cytobrush samples and the vaginal swabs shared a similar taxonomic composition, suggesting that vaginal swabs may suffice to sample the surface-layer uterine microbiota at estrus. The current study gave a description of the microbiota in the healthy and SCE positive NR cows at AI. Our results are valuable as we continue to explore the mechanisms for high fertility in NR, and possible further improvements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofia Diaz-Lundahl
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Simen Foyn Nørstebø
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Thea Blystad Klem
- Department of Paraclinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway
| | - Gregor Duncan Gilfillan
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, 0450, Oslo, Norway
| | - Marianne Dalland
- Department of Medical Genetics, Oslo University Hospital and University of Oslo, 0450, Oslo, Norway
| | - Per Gillund
- Geno Breeding and AI Association, Storhamargata 44, 2317, Hamar, Norway
| | - Anette Krogenæs
- Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Box 5003, 1432, Ås, Norway.
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Ballas P, Gabler C, Wagener K, Drillich M, Ehling-Schulz M. Characterization of Bacillus pumilus Strains Isolated from Bovine Uteri. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13081297. [PMID: 37106860 PMCID: PMC10134969 DOI: 10.3390/ani13081297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Uterine infections are a major source of economic losses to dairy farmers. The uterine microbiota as well as opportunistic uterine contaminants can contribute to the development of endometritis in dairy cows during the postpartum period. Therefore, it is important to characterize potential pathogens and to further elucidate their role in the disease. In this study, we aimed to characterize Bacillus pumilus field isolates to obtain more details regarding their effect on uterine cells by using an in vitro endometrial epithelial primary cells model. We found that B. pumilus isolates possessed the keratinase genes ker1 and ker2 and therefore may produce keratinases. When primary endometrial epithelial cells were infected with 4 different B. pumilus strains, an effect on cellular viability was observed over the course of 72 h. The effect was dose-dependent and time-dependent. Nevertheless, significant differences between the strains were not observed. All tested strains reduced the viability of the primary cells after 72 h of incubation, indicating that B. pumilus potentially has a pathogenic effect on endometrial epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis Ballas
- Functional Microbiology Unit, Institute for Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Gabler
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Veterinary Biochemistry, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - Karen Wagener
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Marc Drillich
- Clinical Unit for Herd Health Management in Ruminants, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Monika Ehling-Schulz
- Functional Microbiology Unit, Institute for Microbiology, Department of Pathobiology, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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Becker AAMJ, Munden S, McCabe E, Hurley D, Fanning S, Chapwanya A, Butaye P. The Endometrial Microbiota—16S rRNA Gene Sequence Signatures in Healthy, Pregnant and Endometritis Dairy Cows. Vet Sci 2023; 10:vetsci10030215. [PMID: 36977254 PMCID: PMC10058826 DOI: 10.3390/vetsci10030215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Endometritis is one of the most important causes of infertility in dairy cows, resulting in high economic losses in the dairy industry. Though the presence of a commensal uterine microbiota is now well established, the complex role of these bacteria in genital health, fertility, and susceptibility to uterine diseases remains unclear. In this study, we explore the endometrial microbiota through 16S rRNA gene profiling from cytobrush samples taken ex vivo from healthy, pregnant, and endometritis cows. There were no significant differences between healthy and pregnant cows, whose uterine microbiota were dominated by Streptococcus, Pseudomonas, Fusobacterium, Lactococcus and Bacteroides. Compared to pregnant and clinically healthy cows, the uterine bacterial community of endometritis cows was significantly decreased in species diversity (p < 0.05), reflecting uneven community composition in different patterns with either dominance of Escherichia-Shigella, Histophilus, Bacteroides and Porphyromonas or Actinobacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne A. M. J. Becker
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Stacie Munden
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Evonne McCabe
- Science Center South, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science, University College Dublin Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Daniel Hurley
- Science Center South, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science, University College Dublin Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Séamus Fanning
- Science Center South, School of Public Health, Physiotherapy & Sports Science, University College Dublin Belfield, D04 N2E5 Dublin, Ireland
| | - Aspinas Chapwanya
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
| | - Patrick Butaye
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Department of Pathobiology, Pharmacology and Zoological Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Correspondence:
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From Gut to Blood: Spatial and Temporal Pathobiome Dynamics during Acute Abdominal Murine Sepsis. Microorganisms 2023; 11:microorganisms11030627. [PMID: 36985201 PMCID: PMC10054525 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11030627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abdominal sepsis triggers the transition of microorganisms from the gut to the peritoneum and bloodstream. Unfortunately, there is a limitation of methods and biomarkers to reliably study the emergence of pathobiomes and to monitor their respective dynamics. Three-month-old CD-1 female mice underwent cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) to induce abdominal sepsis. Serial and terminal endpoint specimens were collected for fecal, peritoneal lavage, and blood samples within 72 h. Microbial species compositions were determined by NGS of (cell-free) DNA and confirmed by microbiological cultivation. As a result, CLP induced rapid and early changes of gut microbial communities, with a transition of pathogenic species into the peritoneum and blood detected at 24 h post-CLP. NGS was able to identify pathogenic species in a time course-dependent manner in individual mice using cfDNA from as few as 30 microliters of blood. Absolute levels of cfDNA from pathogens changed rapidly during acute sepsis, demonstrating its short half-life. Pathogenic species and genera in CLP mice significantly overlapped with pathobiomes from septic patients. The study demonstrated that pathobiomes serve as reservoirs following CLP for the transition of pathogens into the bloodstream. Due to its short half-life, cfDNA can serve as a precise biomarker for pathogen identification in blood.
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Dynamics and Diversity of Intrauterine Anaerobic Microbiota in Dairy Cows with Clinical and Subclinical Endometritis. Animals (Basel) 2022; 13:ani13010082. [PMID: 36611691 PMCID: PMC9817838 DOI: 10.3390/ani13010082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 12/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to characterize the dynamics of anaerobic cultivable postpartum microbiota in the uterus of dairy cows. In total, 122 dairy cows were enrolled and sampled on day 0 (day of calving) and on days 3, 9, 15, 21, and 28 postpartum (pp). Samples were cultivated anaerobically and analyzed by MALDI-TOF MS. In total, 1858 isolates were recovered. The most prevalent facultative anaerobic genera were Trueperella (27.8%), Streptococcus (25.4%), and Escherichia (13.1%). The most prevalent obligate anaerobes were Peptoniphilus (9.3%), Bacteroides (3.3%), and Clostridium (2.4%). The microbial communities were highly dynamic and diverse. On the animal level, Trueperella pyogenes on day 21 and 28 pp was associated with clinical endometritis, and E. coli on day 21 pp was associated with subclinical endometritis. The occurrence of Streptococcus pluranimalium on day 28 was related to uterine health. The presence of T. pyogenes, Streptococcus, and Peptoniphilus was significantly associated with an increased risk for purulent vaginal discharge. Primiparous cows showed a higher prevalence of T. pyogenes, Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas levii, and Peptoniphilus spp. than multiparous cows but were not more susceptible to uterine diseases. This study might provide a suitable basis for future co-cultivation studies to elucidate potential synergistic interactions between microbiota.
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9
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Oxidative Stress Induces Bovine Endometrial Epithelial Cell Damage through Mitochondria-Dependent Pathways. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12182444. [PMID: 36139304 PMCID: PMC9495185 DOI: 10.3390/ani12182444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) count is the main diagnostic method of bovine endometritis. High neutrophil PMN counts in the endometrium of cows affected by endometritis suggest the involvement of oxidative stress among the causes of impaired fertility. The damage mechanism of oxidative stress on bovine endometrial epithelial cells (BEECs) is still unelucidated. The objective of this experiment was to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and graded endometritis in dairy uteri and the molecular mechanism of oxidative stress injury to BEECs. Our research showed that there was an imbalance of antioxidant stress in dairy cow uterine with endometritis, oxidative stress damaged dairy cow endometrial epithelial cells through mitochondria-dependent pathways. These findings may provide new insight into the therapeutic target of bovine endometrial cell injury. Abstract Bovine endometritis is a mucosal inflammation that is characterized by sustained polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) infiltration. Elevated PMN counts in the uterine discharge of dairy cows affected by endometritis suggest that oxidative stress may be among the causes of impaired fertility due to the condition. Nevertheless, the effects of oxidative stress-mediated endometritis in dairy cows largely remain uninvestigated. Therefore, fresh uterine tissue and uterine discharge samples were collected to diagnose the severity of endometritis according to the numbers of inflammatory cells in the samples. Twenty-six fresh uteri were classified into healthy, mild, moderate, and severe endometritis groups based on hematoxylin and eosin stain characteristics and the percentage of PMNs in discharge. BEECs were treated with graded concentrations of H2O2 from 50 μM to 200 μM in vitro as a model to explore the mechanism of oxidative stress during bovine graded endometritis. The expressions of antioxidant stress kinases were detected by quantitative fluorescence PCR to verify the oxidative stress level in uteri with endometritis. Reactive oxygen species were detected by fluorescence microscope, and inflammation-related mRNA expression increased significantly after H2O2 stimulation. Moreover, mRNA expression levels of antioxidant oxidative stress-related enzymes (glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase) and mitochondrial membrane potential both decreased. Further investigation revealed that expression of the apoptosis regulator Bcl-2/Bax decreased, whereas expression of the mitochondrial apoptosis-related proteins cytochrome c and caspase-3 increased in response to oxidative stress. Our results indicate that an imbalance exists between oxidation and antioxidation during bovine endometritis. Moreover, apoptosis induced in vitro by oxidative stress was characterized by mitochondrial damage in BEECs.
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10
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Ludbey PA, Sahibzada S, Annandale CH, Robertson ID, Waichigo FK, Tufail MS, Valenzuela JL, Aleri JW. A pilot study on bacterial isolates associated with purulent vaginal discharge in dairy cows in the south-west region of Western Australia. Aust Vet J 2022; 100:205-212. [PMID: 35243613 PMCID: PMC9315004 DOI: 10.1111/avj.13152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to determine the bacterial isolates associated with postpartum endometritis among dairy cows in Western Australia and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. A cross‐sectional study was conducted between June–October 2020. Endometritis was defined as evidence of mucopurulent to purulent vaginal discharge 60–100 days postpartum. Vaginal discharge samples were obtained, cultured, identified and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. A total of 118 bacterial isolates were grown from 46 animals, representing 36 species. The bacteria isolated from both aerobic and anaerobic cultures included Bacillus (60.2%), Streptococcus (12.7%), Trueperella (10.1%), Escherichia (6.7%) and Staphylococcus (5.9%). The remaining genera <5% were Histophilus, Aeroccocus, Enterococcus and Moraxella. Resistance was variable between isolates, but the highest resistance levels were observed in Streptococcal and Bacillus isolates to enrofloxacin, clindamycin and erythromycin, respectively. All Streptococcal isolates exhibited 100% resistance to enrofloxacin, and the greatest resistance levels were found in Streptococcus luteinises to trimethoprim‐sulfamethoxazole 83%, clindamycin 66% and 33% quinupristin‐dalfopristin. There was 84.5% resistance to clindamycin and 35.2% to erythromycin in the Bacillus isolates, with the highest resistance found in Bacillus licheniformis and Bacillus subtilis. Escherichia coli exhibited 12.5% resistance to gentamycin, ceftiofur, whereas amoxicillin‐clavulanic acid exhibited 37.5%. Within the Staphylococcal isolates, 28.5%, 28.5%, 42.8% and 14.2% resistance to ceftiofur, erythromycin, cefoxitin, penicillin and tetracycline were observed, respectively. The presence of resistance to important antimicrobials for human use, such as cephalosporins, macrolides and fluoroquinolones, highlights the need for judicious use of antimicrobials in dairy cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Ludbey
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - S Sahibzada
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - C H Annandale
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - I D Robertson
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, China
| | - F K Waichigo
- Brunswick Veterinary Services, Brunswick Junction, Western Australia, 6224, Australia
| | - M S Tufail
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - J L Valenzuela
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
| | - J W Aleri
- School of Veterinary Medicine, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Antimicrobial Resistance and Infectious Diseases Research Laboratory, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Centre for Animal Production and Health, Future Foods Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia
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11
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Paiano RB, Moreno LZ, Gomes VTM, Parra BM, Barbosa MR, Sato MIZ, Bonilla J, Pugliesi G, Baruselli PS, Moreno AM. Assessment of the main pathogens associated with clinical and subclinical endometritis in cows by culture and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry identification. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:3367-3376. [PMID: 35181136 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Clinical endometritis (CE) and subclinical endometritis (SCE) are diseases that affect dairy cows during the puerperium, causing negative effects on the animals' milk production and fertility. The objective of this study was to assess the main bacteria related to cases of CE and SCE from uterine samples of dairy cows in Brazilian herds. Selective and differential media were used for isolation of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and further MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) identification. A total of 279 lactating dairy cows with 28 to 33 d in milk from 6 commercial farms were evaluated. Initially, cows were classified in 3 groups: cytologic healthy cows (n = 161), cows with CE (n = 83), and cows with SCE (n = 35). Healthy animals presented 97 species, followed by the CE group with 53 identified species, and SCE cows presented only 21 bacterial species. We found a significantly higher isolation rate of Trueperella pyogenes in CE (26.5%) cows compared with healthy and SCE cows. Some anaerobic species were exclusively isolated from the CE group, even though they presented lower frequency. Interestingly, 18.1% of samples from CE cows and 40% of SCE cows were negative to bacterial isolation. Despite the use of culture-dependent methods instead of molecular methods, the present study enabled the identification of a complex community of 127 different species from 48 genera, composed of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial species among the 3 different animal groups. The method of sample collection, culture, and identification by MALDI-TOF MS were essential for the success of the analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- R B Paiano
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508270, Brazil.
| | - L Z Moreno
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil
| | - V T M Gomes
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil
| | - B M Parra
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil
| | - M R Barbosa
- Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (CETESB), São Paulo, SP 05459-900, Brazil
| | - M I Z Sato
- Environmental Company of the State of São Paulo (CETESB), São Paulo, SP 05459-900, Brazil
| | - J Bonilla
- Department of Food Engineering, College of Animal Science and Food Engineering, University of São Paulo, Pirassununga, SP 13635900, Brazil
| | - G Pugliesi
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508270, Brazil
| | - P S Baruselli
- Department of Animal Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508270, Brazil
| | - A M Moreno
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Health, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP 05508 270, Brazil.
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12
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Giannattasio-Ferraz S, Ene A, Maskeri L, Oliveira AP, Barbosa-Stancioli EF, Putonti C. Corynebacterium phoceense, resident member of the urogenital microbiota? MICROBIOLOGY-SGM 2021; 167. [PMID: 34269674 DOI: 10.1099/mic.0.001068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Corynebacterium phoceense is a Gram-positive species previously isolated from human urine. Although other species from the same genus have been associated with urinary tract infections, C. phoceense is currently believed to be a non-pathogenic member of the urogenital microbiota. Prior to our study, only two isolates were described in the literature, and very little is known about the species. Here, we describe C. phoceense UFMG-H7, the first strain of this species isolated from the urine of healthy cattle. The genome for this isolate was produced and compared to the two other publicly available C. phoceense as well as other Corynebacterium genome assemblies. Our in-depth genomic analysis identified four additional publicly available genome assemblies that are representatives of the species, also isolated from the human urogenital tract. Although none of the strains have been associated with symptoms or disease, numerous genes associated with virulence factors are encoded. In contrast to related Corynebacterium species and Corynebacterium species from the bovine vaginal tract, all C. phoceense strains examined code for the SpaD-type pili suggesting adherence is essential for its persistence within the urinary tract. As the other C. phoceense strains analysed were isolated from the human urogenital tract, our results suggest that this species may be specific to this niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Giannattasio-Ferraz
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Adriana Ene
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Laura Maskeri
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Edel F Barbosa-Stancioli
- Departamento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Catherine Putonti
- Bioinformatics Program, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Biology, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
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13
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Endometrial Inflammation at the Time of Insemination and Its Effect on Subsequent Fertility of Dairy Cows. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11071858. [PMID: 34206536 PMCID: PMC8300153 DOI: 10.3390/ani11071858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary A detailed understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms in the bovine uterus is crucial to explain and avoid subfertility in dairy cows. Therefore, we examined the effect of inflammation in the bovine uterus in cows with no clinical signs of disease at the time of artificial insemination (AI) on subsequent pregnancy outcome. In a total of 71 healthy dairy cows, uterine cytology samples were collected by cytobrush technique within 10 min after insemination. Endometrial inflammation was investigated at the cellular and mRNA expression levels. All factors with a significant effect on fertility in our study were related to uterine polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) migration, i.e., the first line of uterine defense. Cows with a proportion of ≥1% PMN had a 1.8-fold increased chance of pregnancy within 150 days postpartum compared to cows with fewer PMNs. From our results, we conclude that a certain level of inflammation at the molecular and cellular levels before the stimulus of AI might be favorable for cows’ fertility. Abstract Our objective was to investigate the level of endometrial immune response at artificial insemination (AI) and to relate it to subsequent fertility. From 71 healthy cows, endometrial cytobrush samples were taken at the first AI for cytological and mRNA analyses. Total RNA isolated from the cytobrushes was used for reverse transcription qPCR for selected transcripts. Animals were grouped into pregnant (PREG; n = 32) and non-pregnant (non-PREG; n = 39) cows following their first AI. The mRNA abundance of the neutrophil-related factor CEACAM1 and the chemokine CXCL5 was 1.2- (p = 0.03) and 2.0-fold (p = 0.04) greater in PREG than in non-PREG cows, respectively. Animals were further subdivided according to the number of inseminations until pregnancy (PREG1, n = 32; PREG2-3, n = 19) and in repeat breeder cows (RBC, n = 13). CEACAM1 and CXCL8 mRNA expression was 1.7- (p = 0.01) and 2.3-fold (p = 0.03) greater in PREG1 than in RBC, respectively. Cox regression showed that cows with PMN ≥ 1% had a 1.8-fold increased chance of pregnancy within 150 days postpartum compared with cows with fewer PMNs. We conclude that a certain level of inflammation before the stimulus of AI might be beneficial for subsequent fertility.
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