Vet Med - Czech, 2013, 58(6):289-297 | DOI: 10.17221/6864-VETMED

Endometritis and pyometra in bitches: a reviewReview

B. Kempisty1,2, D. Bukowska3, M. Wozna3, H. Piotrowska4, M. Jackowska3, A. Zuraw3, S. Ciesiolka1, P. Antosik3, H. Maryniak5, E. Ociepa1, Sz. Porowski1, K.P. Brussow6, J.M. Jaskowski3, M. Nowicki1
1 Department of Histology and Embryology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
2 Department of Anatomy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
3 Department of Veterinary Science, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
4 Department of Toxicology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
5 Institute of Zoology, Department of Animal Anatomy, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Poznan, Poland
6 Department of Reproductive Biology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology, Dummerstorf, Germany

Endometritis-pyometra is the most frequent and complex pathology in domestic bitches. This process involves several immunological changes as well as molecular mechanisms responsible for inflammation in the female uterus. The various clinical stages of pyometra are associated with various symptoms. In this review, several aspects are described, including physiological and pathological mechanisms as well as molecular changes which take place during induction of endometritis-pyometra. The authors also highlight the important role of growth factors and their receptors in this process. It is well known that pyometra is a compound process which mainly involves immunological changes during inflammation. However, this review presents a new overview of this process, which includes changes at the molecular level, e.g., the altered expression of genes crucial for the development of this disease. Although pyometra is the most frequent disease of the reproductive tract in bitches, the molecular basis of this process is still not entirely understood.

Keywords: uterine diseases; cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra complex; endometritis-pyometra complex

Published: June 30, 2013  Show citation

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Kempisty B, Bukowska D, Wozna M, Piotrowska H, Jackowska M, Zuraw A, et al.. Endometritis and pyometra in bitches: a review. Vet Med - Czech. 2013;58(6):289-297. doi: 10.17221/6864-VETMED.
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