Transient inflammatory mediator response induced by lipopolysaccharide in blood, peritoneal fluid and amniotic fluid in pregnant mares

• Grant number: 18/11850-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2018
• End date: April 30, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Agreement: Coordination of Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES)
• Principal Investigator: Renata Gebara Sampaio Dória
• Grantee: Marília Alves Ferreira
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Zootecnia e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Pirassununga , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Endotoxemia is a frequent consequence of gastrointestinal diseases in horses and leads to the activation of the inflammatory cascade, including the release of proinflammatory cytokines, from pathogen recognition and pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPS), through (PRR), which detect a specific ligand, such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the main endotoxin related to this inflammatory condition in horses. Studies have reported effects of maternal colic on the equine fetus and associated abortions with signs of endotoxemia in mares in late gestation, suggesting the influence of this systemic syndrome on the fetus. Elevated levels of endotoxins and inflammatory cytokines have been demonstrated in the amniotic fluid of women with membrane rupture and preterm labor. The fetoplacental unit is a dynamic system of exchange between maternal and fetal fluids. In human medicine, amniocentesis is widely used to analyze fetal viability. However, in equines, the physiology of fetal fluids and their chemical composition is poorly understood and few studies have been developed for this purpose, especially with diseased pregnant mares. This work aims to determine and quantify inflammatory mediators, nuclear factor NFº-B activity and gene expression of the TLR-4 receptor in the blood, peritoneal fluid and amniotic fluid of mares in late gestation during maternal systemic endotoxemia induced by LPS intraperitoneal, in order to understand the pathophysiology of endotoxemia in pregnant mares and their influence on the fetus.