In vivo studies on lysosubtilin. 2. Efficacy for treatment of post-partum endometritis in cows

Lysosubtilin is a broad-spectrum preparation of lytic enzymes from Bacillus subtilis designed for veterinary medicine. This study demonstrates its efficacy for the treatment of post-partum endometritis in cows. Prior to the determination of optimal therapeutic doses, samples taken from the uterus of sick animals were examined microbiologically. The examinations revealed a high incidence of polymicrobial infections (65.0%) caused by various mixtures of bacteria (both Gram-positive and Gram-negative) and fungi/yeasts. Dose-determination studies involved 160 cows with clinical signs of post-partum endometritis. For treatment both aqueous and oil-based formulations were tested and the optimal dose was found to be 2 x 10(6) U lysosubtilin dissolved in 100 mL of distilled water. When administered intrauterinarily twice a week until recovery this dose resulted in a 100% clinical recovery rate (versus 90%) and a statistically significant decrease (73 +/- 5 d), when compared with cows treated with neofur (92 +/- 9 d, P < 0.05) in the calving-to-conception interval. These findings were confirmed by results of field trials performed in four Former Soviet Union republics (Byelarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia) on 932 cows. Increases in clinical recovery (93.7 versus 80.2%, P < 0.05) and conception rates (64.4 versus 45.8%, P < 0.01) were found to be statistically significant when compared with cows treated with neofur or uterosan. We therefore conclude that lytic enzyme preparations are prospective antimicrobial drugs and when used to combat animal diseases they may serve as a possible alternative to common antibiotics.