Evaluation of inflammatory mediators in blood and fetal fluids in response to induced endotoxemia in pregnant mares

• Grant number: 19/22059-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: May 01, 2020
• End date: October 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• 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 or systemic inflammatory response syndrome is a frequent consequence of gastrointestinal disease in horses. This inflammatory process starts from 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, amniotic fluid evaluation 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 and fetal fluids of mares in late gestation during maternal systemic endotoxemia induced by intravenous infusion of LPS, in order to understand the pathophysiology of endotoxemia in pregnant mares and their influence on the fetus. (AU)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

FERREIRA, Marília Alves. Evaluation of inflammatory mediators in fetal blood and fluids in response to induced endotoxemia in pregnant mares. 2023. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Zootecnica e Engenharia de Alimentos (FZE/BT) Pirassununga.