Abstract
Reproductive disorders in cows cause economic loss in livestock farms. This study was carried out to investigate the incidence of endometriosis in the uterine of Korean indigenous cow (Hanwoo). In the present study, the uterine of 25 cows was provided by the slaughterhouse. As a result on a visual examination of the uterus, 18 out of 25 were visually normal, and 7 uteruses (28%) appeared rather pale and showed purulent or mucosal symptoms in Uterine horn. However, the results of hematological analysis showed that both RBC and WBC were normal and showed no signs of systemic inflammation, indicating 7 cows showed asymptomatic endometriosis. The inflammatory uterus (28%) showed a wide range of pathological conditions that elicit an inflammatory response, such as serous exudate and bleeding. Histological and microscopic analysis in the inflammatory group demonstrated that there was swelling of the uterine glands, and neutrophil, basophil, and lymphocyte appeared in the uterine gland. Moreover, plasma cells and hemosiderin-laden macrophages were increased in the endometrial stroma, which lead to inhibit pregnancy by suppression of the synthesis of pregnancy hormones, and the appearance of hemosiderin-laden macrophages is an indicator of intracellular bleeding. In summary, hematologically, it is a normal diagnosis in Korean indigenous cows, however, when the uterus was extracted and investigated microscopically, the asymptomatic endometriosis were evident. In order to achieve the goal of healthy cow management and breeding within 2 weeks after birth, cows' uterus should be washed, disinfected, and through thorough the hygiene management, it aims to prevent asymptomatic endometriosis to produce healthy offspring and reduce the breeding interval.
