The effect of oestradiol on postpartum uterine involution in sheep

The present study tested the hypothesis that ovarian oestradiol increases the rate of uterine involution after parturition in sheep. The day after parturition, ewes were randomly assigned as un-operated controls (n=5), or a 3 cm silastic implant containing oestradiol (n=8) or empty (n=7) was sutured within the bursa of the ovary ipsilateral to the previously gravid uterine horn. Blood samples were collected daily for measurement of PGFM and acute phase proteins until 17 days postpartum when the ewes were slaughtered and the genital tract was collected. There was no consistent effect of treatment group on uterine involution determined by the collagen density, dry matter content, width, length, or weight of the genital tract. Furthermore, there was no evidence of a localised effect of oestradiol on involution as there were no significant differences between the previously gravid and non-gravid uterine horns. However, oestradiol-treated ewes had lower plasma concentrations of 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-prostaglandin F2alpha (P<0.01), alpha1-acid glycoprotein (P<0.05) and ceruloplasmin (P<0.001); but, not haptoglobin. These observations could reflect a direct effect of oestradiol on inflammatory mediator synthesis or secretion because, in the absence of parallel physical measurements, it is unlikely that these observations reflect a beneficial effect of treatment on uterine health.