Evaluation of therapeutic effects of a 5-day intrauterine infusion of 6% Eucalyptus globulus oil solution on mares with experimentally induced endometritis with Streptococcus zooepidemicus

Endometritis is one of the major causes of infertility in mares. The present study was conducted to evaluate intrauterine infusion of Eucalyptus globulus oil as treatment for mares with experimentally induced endometritis. Mares (n=8) were synchronized using two injections of PGF2α (10 mg) 14 days apart. All mares were inoculated with a live culture of 5 × 106 CFU S. zooepidemicus in the dioestrus phase after the termination of oestrus. The day of inoculation was considered as day 0 of the experiment. On days 3, 6 and9, cytological and bacteriological specimens were collected to determine endometritis. Mares were randomly assigned to two groups on day 10. Mares in treatment (n=4) and control (n=4) groups received intrauterine 6% Eucalyptus oil solution (100 ml) and intrauterine saline solution (100 ml) for 5 consecutive days. Cytological, bacteriological, and ultrasonographic evaluations were implemented at days 15, 17 and 19 (1, 3 and 5 days after termination of intrauterine treatment, respectively). The number of mares diagnosed with endometritis, the depth of their intraluminal uterine fluid and the number of infected mares did not change by the treatment (P>0.05). In conclusion, the 5-day intrauterine infusion of 6% E. globulus oil solution failed to treat experimental endometritis in mares.