Association among energy status, subclinical endometritis postpartum and subsequent reproductive performance in Egyptian buffaloes

Sixty pluriparous, clinically normal buffalo cows (n = 60) were used to investigate the relationships between metabolic status, subclinical endometritis and reproductive performance. Subclinical endometritis was diagnosed by endometrial cytology (EC) and ultrasonography (US) during weeks 4–9 postpartum (pp). A comparative assessment of these diagnostic approaches was made with respect to reproductive outcomes. Blood samples were collected on a weekly basis from weeks 4 to 9 in order to estimate some blood metabolites including blood glucose, total cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Reproductive tract examination was carried out weekly from weeks 4 to 9 by endometrial cytology (percentage of polymorphonuclear cells; PMN%) and Ultrasonography (detection of fluid in uterus regardless to its amount or echogenicity; FIU). The percentage of buffalo cow suffering from subclinical endometritis as diagnosed by endometrial cytology was significantly (P < 0.01) higher in non-pregnant cows (80%) at weeks 4 and 5 (60%) pp when compared with pregnant animals (0). HDL-c concentration was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in cytologically diagnosed ENDM group (15.4 ± 0.7 mg/dl) if compared to NOENDM group (25.0 ± 3.1 mg/dl) during week 4 pp. During week 5 pp, triglycerides concentration was significantly high (P < 0.05) in ENDM group, as diagnosed by the presence of FIU (184.6 ± 12.4 mg/dl) if compared to NOENDM group (102.7 ± 30.6 mg/dl). Total cholesterol concentration was significantly lower (P < 0.01) in ENDM group (51.9 ± 0.5 mg/dl) than that of NOENDM group (85.9 ± 2.0 mg/dl) during week 6 pp. In conclusion, Weeks 4 and 5 pp are the best times to identify cytologically diagnosed endometritis. Furthermore, glucose and total cholesterol indicated that energy status is not a risk factor for cytologically diagnosed subclinical endometritis in buffalo cows.