Abstract
Spontaneous abortions, congenital hypothyroidism and musculoskeletal abnormalities were attributed to high nitrate in the diet of pregnant mares on Thoroughbred farms in central Kentucky. These fetal losses, with an unknown etiology, and associated with the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) have plagued horse farms in central Kentucky for decades. Fetal losses occur in mares grazing spring pastures affected by climatic and environmental factors including droughts, cold-stress, nitrogenous fertilizers, and herbicides. These factors may cause nitrate to accumulate in pasture forages. On a Thoroughbred horse farm, mares affected with the MRLS, pregnant Boer goats grazing high nitrate pastures also were affected with fetal losses. When spring pastures were not fertilized with nitrogen, herbicides not applied, protein reduced in the ration and the diet increased in sodium, fetal losses did not occur and foals were normal at birth. Excessive nitrate, ammonia and sulfate in the diet were associated with the formation of toxic and pathogenic abiotic nanoparticles in the amnionic fluid and pathognomonic placental lesions consistent with the MRLS. Pathogenic nanoparticles were found in aborted fetuses of other livestock. The discovery of these toxic pathogenic abiotic micro and nanoparticles in developing fetuses is unique. This novel mechanism of action for the pathogenesis of fetal losses may be a predisposing factor for a host of opportunistic diseases in livestock. The pathogenic nanoparticles collect in the vessels of the placenta and other organs to form niduses that predispose fetuses to a host of opportunistic microorganisms.
Highlights
During the average foaling season in central Kentucky 5 to 15 percent early fetal deaths occur in mares
The pregnant does that remained in the herbicide treated and cold-stressed pasture forages, 40% experienced fetal losses, including marked congenital thyroid hyperplasia and musculoskeletal abnormalities of the limbs
After changing the diet fed to pregnant mares and pasture management to reduce the likelihood of excessive nitrate in pasture forages, for the first time in over ten years, all foals were born without musculoskeletal abnormalities, and no dystocia occurred in any of the mares
Summary
During the average foaling season in central Kentucky 5 to 15 percent early fetal deaths occur in mares. An additional 2 to 5 percent of mid to late-term abortions are found for necropsy examination [1]. These reproductive losses may dramatically increase in late spring. An extraordinary increase in abortions was first recognized as a syndrome in the late spring of 1980 after pasture forages were stressed by droughts, frosts and freezes, and affected pasture forages and diets were found to be elevated in nitrate [2] Since 1980, similar fetal losses were recognized each spring. In the spring of 2001, there was another massive unprecedented increase in fetal losses when several thousand mares acutely aborted in central Kentucky and Midwestern states [3]. Fetal losses were referred to as the Mare Reproductive Loss Syndrome (MRLS) [4] the fetal loss syndrome was restricted to mares but Swerczek Thomas Walter and Dorton Alan Ray: Effects of Nitrate and Pathogenic Nanoparticles on Reproductive Losses
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