Arman Shokri - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Reza Asadpour - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Razi Jafai-joozani - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Esmaeil Babaei - Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Abolfazl Hajibemani - Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Gholamreza Hamidian - Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran

The purpose was to identify differentially expressed plasma microRNAs (miRNAs) in cows with clinical and subclinical endometritis. In this study clinical endometritis (CE; n = ۲۳) based on vaginal discharge score (VDS), subclinical endometritis (SCE; n = ۱۷) based on VDS (۰), and endometrial cytology (the presence of ۸.۰۰% polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN) on days ۲۱-۳۱ and ۵.۰۰% on days ۴۱-۵۱ days in milk (DIM) and healthy cows (n = ۲۱) based on vaginal discharge score (۰), and endometrial cytology (< ۵.۰۰% PMN on days ۲۱ - ۳۱ and < ۵.۰۰% on days ۴۱ - ۵۱ DIM) were selected. The results showed that the expression level of miR-۱۴۶a was significantly higher in the CE (۱۹.۱۷-fold), and SCE (۶.۲۲-fold) groups than those of healthy cows. The relative transcript abundance of miR-۲۲۳ was considerably down-regulated in the CE (۰.۲۶-fold) and SCE (۰.۰۶-fold) compared to the healthy cows. The expression levels of miR-۱۴۶a and miR-۲۲۳ were significantly higher in the CE group which could be caused by Gram-negative bacterial infection. Our results showed that the expression level of plasma miRNAs postpartum could be used as a reliable marker to distinguish between SCE, CE and healthy cows.

Bacteria, Dairy cattle, Endometritis, MicroRNAs, Plasma