POST-PARTUM UTERINE INVOLUTION IN BOVINE

 POST-PARTUM UTERINE INVOLUTION IN BOVINE

Kavya V¹, Nishanth C² and Kotresh A.M³ 

^1,3  Department of Veterinary Biochemistry, Veterinary College, KVAFSU, Bangalore.

2. ². Veterinary Officer, Bangalore, Government of Karnataka

 Introduction

Post-partum in cattle undergoes various physiological and anatomical changes in the uterus which includes involution of uterus, restoring of ovarian functions. Uterine involution is the time needed for repair of the reproductive tract so another pregnancy can be established. Uterine involution does not generally limit cyclicity unless disease conditions like metritis, endometritis which delays normal involution (Paiano et al., 2019). Uterine involution in cattle is complete when the uterine horns return to the position, size and tone of a non-pregnant or cyclic animal. Here overlapping events occurred in the involution uterus:

(1) An overall reduction in uterine size

(2) Loss of conceptus tissue; and

(3) Endometrial regression

(4) Reduced blood flow to uterus to decrease endometrial vascularity (Lin et al., 2021)

• In cattle after parturition, the uterus is a large organ measuring approximately 1 meter in length and weighing 8 to 10 kg. The most profound involution occurs between the time of calving and day 3 postpartum. The rapid decrease in size is due to vasoconstriction and peristaltic contractions, which occur at three to four minute intervals and gradually diminish by day 4 postpartum. (Aires et al., 2025)
• Involution is regulated process encompasses macroscopic, microscopic and molecular changes, including uterine contraction, atropy of tissues, caruncular necrosis, sloughing anf endometrial regeneration. Events during involution of the uterus include necrosis of the caruncular stalk, breakdown of the superficial layer of the caruncle and formation of the lochial discharge. This process is generally complete by day 12 postpartum (Boushra et al., 2025).Normal involution is an aseptic process. Spontaneous puerperal infection, with massive bacterial growth in the lochia, is also common. It has also been reported that 93% of bovine uteri are infected up to day 15, 78% up to day 30, 50% up to day 45 and 9% up to day 60 postpartum. Corynebacterium pyogenes and Escherichia coli are the most commonly cultured bacteria. The size of the bovine uterus decreases slowly between days 4 and 9 postpartum.( Ghanem et al., 2014). At this time, the diameter of the previously gravid horn ranges from 12 to 14 cm in normal cows and by day 10 the uterus could be completely defined by rectal palpation. Normal cows exhibit a marked increase in uterine tone and decrease in uterine size from days 10 to 14 postpartum which coincide with the onset of first estrus. The uterine horn averages 7 to 8 cm in diameter by day 14. (Abdel-Khalek et al., 2013)
• Subsequent involution was rapid and by day 25 a diameter of 2 to 4 cm was usually attained with the uterine horns being almost equal in size.  Involution of the cervix is slower than that of the uterus. Normal cows, on average attain complete cervical involution by day 30 postpartum. The principal part of the physiological change in the uterine wall during postpartal involution in cows is finished until day 25 after parturition.(Kocamuftuoglu et al., 2008)
  • A variety of factors, such as parity, lactation status, nutrition influence the time to complete uterine involution. The process of uterine involution involves an overall size reduction, loss of cotyledonary tissue, and tissue repair. The bacterial contamination of the postpartum uterus is a frequent finding which by itself does not disturb the anatomical and histological restoration of tubular genital tract.( Foldial., 2006)The improper balance between uterine infection and the intrauterine antimicrobial self-defence mechanisms, however, often results in complications, such as puerperal metritis, clinical endometritis, pyometra and subclinical endometritis.Puerperal metritis  occurs within the few days just after calving.( Varhidi et.al., 2024) Clostridia is often involved but other pathogens such as coliforms, etc. may also be involved. Postpartum metritis is different from puerperal metritis as the cows with common postpartum metritis are not clinically ill, no systemic signs are seen and  a purulent discharge may be observed. Organisms involved are: Fusobacterium necrophorum , Bacteroides melaninogenicus and  B. fragillus , Actinomyces pyogenes.( Hermadi et. al., 2025)

Factors delaying uterine involution:

• Uterine damage
• Stillbirth, twins, dystocia, caesarean section operation
• Retained placenta
• Delayed uterine involution
• Metabolic conditions
• Milk fever, ketosis and left displaced abomasum
• Balance between pathogenicity and immunity
• Disruption of neutrophil function
• Type of bacterial flora in the uterine lumen
• Progesterone or glucocorticoid administration; early formation of a corpus luteum
• Level of hygiene of the environment, cows or calving boxes

Treatment:

Treatment will vary depending on the particular situation of animals.

1. Monitoring of cows  for hygiene, expulsion of placenta, reduction in uterine size and dimensions and to monitor the normal uterine contractions
2. Hormone therapy:

Use of PGE2 or Oxytocin – alpha and scopolamine which helps in improvement if fertility, normalize uterine contraction and vascularization.

3. Use of antibiotics like Amphicillin, systemic drugs like cefitofur.

References

1. Lin, Y., Yang, H., Ahmad, M. J., Yang, Y, Yang, W., Riaz, H., Abulaiti, A., Zhang, S., Yang, L and Hua, G. (2021).Postpartum Uterine Involution and Embryonic Development Pattern in Chinese Holstein Dairy Cows . Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 7 | Article 604729.
2. Paiano,B, Birgel, D.B, Birgel, E.H. (2019). Uterine Involution and Reproductive Performance in Dairy Cows with Metabolic Diseases. Animals (Basel).18;9(3):93. doi: 10.3390/ani9030093.
3. Aires, K.V, Silva, A.P, Andrade, L.G., Boyer, A., Zamberlam, G., Portela,  V.P  Antoniazzi, A.Q and St-Jean, G. (2025). Postpartum Uterine Involution in Cows: Quantitative Assessment of Structural Remodeling and Immune Cell Infiltration.Animals , 15(17), 2520; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172520
4. Boushra, M. and Carlson, K., Rahman, O. (2025).  Postpartum Infection. StatPearls Publishing.
5. Ghanem, M., Tezuka, E., Devkota, B., Izaike, Y., Osawa, T. (2014).Persistence of uterine bacterial infection, and its associations with endometritis and ovarian function in postpartum dairy cows. J Reprod Dev. 6; 61(1):54–60. doi: 1262/jrd.2014-0516.
6. Abdel-Khalek, A.E., El-Harairy, M.A., Mehrez, A.F. and Fouad, A.F.M. (2013). Uterine Involution And Reproductive Performance Of Lactating Friesian Cows Treated With Oxytocin And Prostaglandin (Pgf2α) At Calving J.Animal And Poultry Prod., Mansoura Univ., Vol.4 (6): 349 – 362.
7. Kocamuftuoglu, M. and Vural, R. (2008). The evaluation of postpartum period in dairy cows with normal and periparturient problems.Acta Veterinaria (Beograd), Vol. 58, No. 1, 75-87.
8. Foldi, J., Kulcsar, M., Pecsi, A,  Huyghe, B, Sa, C,  Lohuis, J.A.C.M, Cox P, Huszenicza, G.Y. (2006). Bacterial complications of postpartum uterine involution in cattle. Anim Reprod Sci.; 96(3-4):265-81. doi:  10.1016/j.anireprosci.2006.08.006. Epub 2006.
9. Varhidi, Z., Csiko, G.,  BajcsyC.,  Jurkovich V. (2024) Uterine Disease in Dairy Cows: A Comprehensive Review Highlighting New Research Areas. Vet Sci. 2;11(2):66. doi: 10.3390/vetsci11020066.
10. Hermadi, H.A., Khairullah, A.R., Damayanti, Y., Safitri, E.,Tyasningsih, W., Warsito S.H., Kusala, M.K.J., Wibowo, S., Moses, I.B., Kurniawan, M.A., Wardhani, B.W.K., Prasetyo, S.T.,  Kurniasih, D.A.A., Rahajeng, A.D.R.,  Fauziah, I., Vidhianty, C.B., Ansori, A.N.M., Wasito, W. and Ahmad, R.Z. (2025). Endometritis in Cattle: A Review of Current Understanding and Practical Causes of Repeat Breeding. Trends Sci. 22(6): 

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