Pathogenesis of hydrometra-endometritis complex in rats.

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Among 31 rats with a cervical ligation for 79 to 88 days, hydrometra developed in 17 uterine horns of 13 rats. Eleven of those 17 uterine horns of hydrometra contained the turbid or transparent exudate with a bacterial contamination at the level of 107 to 109/ml, and affected with endometritis. The remaining 5 hydrometra were filled with sterile exudate and free from endometritis. On the other hand, the uterine luminal fluid in some cases of the apparently normal rats at the proestrous stage was contaminated with Streptococcus sp. and/or P. pneumotropica at the level of 103 to 105/ml. Another 14 rats, in which 14 uterine horns (9 rats) were preliminarily confirmed for bacterial contamination, were treated by ovariectomy, uterine ligation and subcutaneous injection of estradiol 0.2/μg/day for 20 days. However, hydrometra was macroscopically negative in all rats. Endometritis was also negative in 11 of 14 uterine horns except for a slight endometritis in the remaining 3 uterine horns. These results indicate that the luminal fluid of hydro-metra plays an important role in the growth of pre-existing bacteria and development of endometritis, accordingly, the transition of hydrometra to endometritis may occur in the rat uteri with a contamination by the pre-existing bacteria. Therefore, it was thought to be reasonable to include those abnormal uteri in the words of Hydrometra-endometritis complex.