Characterization of the uterine physiologic inflammatory profiles in cows during post-partum involution; to be or not to be affected by endometritis?

During uterine involution (occuring after giving birth), the uterus sustain diverse morphological and inflammatory changes to eliminate the potential contamination of the uterus and prepare for a subsequent pregnancy. In cows, a failure to eliminate a potential uterine contamination after giving birth could lead to endometritis, a disease characterized by persistent inflammation of the uterine mucosa, and have notable consequences on the reproductive health. It is proposed that the disease may start during the uterine involution. Therefore, understanding the process of uterine involution in cows could prove fundamental for the study of bovine endometritis and potentially the development of new treatments. The proposed project’s goal is to characterize the involution period in cows using a panel of different techniques that will evaluate the physiologic inflammation occurring. We expect that this project will give new inflammatory data thresholds during the involution, which will help understand the potential development of endometritis. It will also ensure the development of a new and strong research collaboration between Brazil and Canada.

Faculty Supervisor:

Guillaume St-Jean

Student:

Partner:

Universidade Federal de Santa Maria

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

Université de Montréal

Program: