Serum Cytokine Reactions during Pregnancy in Healthy Mares

Aleksandra Figarska, Małgorzata Domino, Małgorzata Maśko and Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz ()
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Aleksandra Figarska: Department of Large Animals Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Science (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Małgorzata Domino: Department of Large Animals Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Science (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Małgorzata Maśko: Department of Animal Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz: Department of Animal Breeding, Institute of Animal Science, Warsaw University of Life Sciences (WULS–SGGW), 02-787 Warsaw, Poland

Agriculture, 2023, vol. 13, issue 2, 1-9

Abstract: The aim of the research was to determine the differences in IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, INF-γ, TNF-α and IL-1ra blood concentrations in pregnant and non-pregnant healthy mares. The mares were divided into two groups: pregnant mares ( n = 18; age 6.11 ± 2.25 years); non-pregnant mares ( n = 6; age 5.67 ± 1.75 years). Blood samples were collected from all mares ( n = 24) three times every month, and then the pregnant group was divided into three subgroups based on the age of the pregnancy (1st group ( n = 6)—6th, 7th, 8th; 2nd ( n = 6)—7th, 8th, and 9th; 3rd ( n = 6)—8th, 9th, 10th month of pregnancy). The concentrations of IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-10, IL-17, INF-γ, and TNF-α were higher in the pregnant than in non-pregnant group, whereas only the concentration of IL-1ra was lower in the pregnant than in the non-pregnant groups. Serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1 β, IL-2, and IFN-γ in pregnant mares were greater than in non-pregnant mares at the start of the trimester, whereas, IL-4, IL-17 and TNF-α started to rise in the latter months of the third trimester. IL-10 and IL-1ra concentrations started to decrease after the 6th month of pregnancy. In non-pregnant mares cytokine levels were stable during the whole study. In mares, the change in the ratio between Th1 (IL-1, IL-2, INF-γ, TNF-α) and Th2 (e.g., IL-4, IL-10, IL-13) cytokines occurs during pregnancy. The cytokine profile may be useful in the future for monitoring healthy pregnancies; however, more research is needed especially for miscarriage in mares.

Keywords: horse; mares; miscarriage; Th1 response; Th2 phenomenon; pregnancy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jagris:v:13:y:2023:i:2:p:331-:d:1050721

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