The effects of intra-uterine kerosene infusion on endometrial epithelial cilia concentration

Abstract

The endometrial muco-ciliary apparatus plays an important role in the clearance of fluid and inflammatory debris from the uterus. It has been documented that there is a significant difference in the distribution of ciliated cells between mares with normal fertility and mares with delayed uterine clearance. The infusion of kerosene into the uterus as a treatment for chronic infertility in mares has been described. Endoscopic, histologic and cytologic examination post infusion reveals severe acute inflammation that gradually resolves over seven to fourteen days. The goal of this study was to determine if the intra-uterine infusion of kerosene had an effect on the concentration of ciliated endometrial epithelial cells detectable via histologic examination of endometrial biopsies. Uterine biopsy samples were obtained from nine reproductively healthy mares the cycle prior to treatment. Four mares served as controls and were infused with saline, and five mares were treated with intra-uterine infusion of kerosene. Two hundred and fifty milliliters of saline or kerosene were infused into the uterus during estrus and uterine biopsy samples were acquired one, four, seven and twenty-one days after administration. The biopsy samples were fixed in Bouin’s solution and standard H&E sections were prepared. The percentage of ciliated endometrial epithelial cells was determined by counting a minimum of 100 endometrial cells and assessing the percentage that possessed tufts of tall cilia. There was no statistical difference between the