The effect of uterine lavage performed four hours post insemination on pregnancy rate in mares

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 35; no. 6; pp. 1111 - 1119
• Main Authors: Brinsko, S.P., Varner, D.D., Blanchard, T.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.06.1991
• Subjects: CABALLO DE CARRERA; CABALLOS; CHEVAL; CHEVAL DE COURSE; DESINFECTANT; DESINFECTANTES; FERTILIDAD; FERTILITE; fertility; INSEMINACION ARTIFICIAL; INSEMINATION ARTIFICIELLE; IODE; JUMENT; LAVADO; LAVAGE; mare; PERFORMANCE DE REPRODUCTION; post breeding; RACE; RAZAS; REPRODUCTIVIDAD; uterine lavage; UTERO; UTERUS; YEGUA; YODO; post breeding; uterine lavage; mare; fertility
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/0093-691X(91)90358-K

One stallion and 24 mares were used in an experiment to evaluate the effect of postbreeding uterine lavage on pregnancy rate in mares. Mares were inseminated with 250 × 10 6 progressively motile sperm every other day during estrus and were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: 1) no uterine lavage (control); 2) uterine lavage at 4 h post-breeding with 1 L 0.9% saline; and 3) uterine lavage at 4 h post breeding with 1 L 0.05% povidone-iodine solution (PIS) in 0.9% saline. Pregnancy status was determined at Days 15 and 21 post ovulation using transrectal ultra-sonography. Pregnancy rates for Group 1 (6/8; 75.0%); Group 2 (8/8; 100.0%); and Group 3 (7/8; 87.5%) were similar (P=0.87). Uterine lavage at 4 h post breeding did not adversely affect fertility. Results of a previous study indicated that uterine lavage with 0.05% PIS at 0.5 or 2 h post breeding reduced pregnancy rates in mares. An adverse effect of PIS on oviductal spermatozoa was suspected. The present study suggests that the timing of postbreeding uterine lavage may be more important than the lavage media, with regard to detrimental effects on fertility.