Molecular characterization of some immunity genes related to endometritis in Egyptian buffalo

Abstract

Postpartum endometritis is one of the most prevalent illnesses in dairy animals, particularly cattle and buffalo, resulting in significant economic losses due to increased inter-calving intervals. The fertility deficiency also leads to the decrease of buffalo’s production. Determining the immunological state of buffalo relative to the development of endometritis could help improve some reproductive management strategies and reduce the economic loss of buffalo production. Furthermore, the early diagnosis of subclinical endometritis is enhanced by investigation of differences in the expression patterns of immune-related genes. In this respect, the development of clinical or subclinical endometritis in buffalo was linked to the expression of inflammatory-related genes in uterine tissue. Immune genes linked to reproductive diseases can be distinguished by how they are expressed in high and low responders. Cytokines are proteins produced spontaneously by immune cells that play a major role in the host's defense against infection as well as specific and nonspecific immunity. The type of cytokine secreted by a cell is determined by the antigenic stimulation and the type of activated cells. Accordingly, the purpose of this study was to investigate the gene expression of different immune genes in endometritis-infected buffaloes by using Real Time PCR amplification. RNA was extracted from uteri samples taken from 120 Egyptian buffaloes, 60 animals had endometritis signs including abnormal secretions as well as symptoms of inflammation in the uterus, such as swelling, redness, and hardness; while the other 60 animals had healthy appearance.