%0 Journal Article
%T Effects of Different Amounts of Supplemental Selenium and Vitamin E on the Incidence of Retained Placenta, Selenium, Malondialdehyde, and Thyronines Status in Cows Treated with Prostaglandin F2¦Á for the Induction of Parturition
%A Ivan B. Jovanovi£¿
%A Miljan Veli£¿kovi£¿
%A Dragan Vukovi£¿
%A Svetlana Milanovi£¿
%A Olivera Val£¿i£¿
%A Dragan Gvozdi£¿
%J Journal of Veterinary Medicine
%D 2013
%R 10.1155/2013/867453
%X The incidence of retained placenta (RP) in cows increases in cases of parturition induced by prostaglandin F2¦Á. We analyzed the effects of different doses of supplemental selenium and vitamin E on the incidence of RP, blood selenium, plasma thyronines, and malondialdehyde concentration. Thirty-three clinically healthy, multiparous Holstein-Frisian cows were assigned to 3 groups and supplemented with a single intramuscular injection of sodium selenite (SS) and tocopherol acetate (TAc) between days 250 to 255 of gestation: control¡ªunsupplemented; group A¡ª10£¿mg SS + 400£¿mg TAc; group B¡ª20£¿mg SS + 800£¿mg TAc. Parturition was induced using PGF2¦Á not before day 275 of gestation. The RP incidence was reduced from 66.7% in the control to 38.2 and 30.8% in groups A and B, respectively. Blood selenium and glutathione peroxidase activity in treated groups were significantly higher compared to control, with no significant difference between groups A and B. Plasma malondialdehyde in group B was significantly lower than that in control and group A, while thyronines levels were not affected. Comparison of RP and non-RP cows, independently of supplement treatment, revealed higher blood selenium and glutathione peroxidase activity and lower MDA and thyroxine in non-RP animals, while triiodothyronine level did not differ. 1. Introduction Induced parturition in cows may have several technological and medical advantages over spontaneous delivery, such as avoiding unattended night-time calving, providing colostrum to the newborn in time, preventing dystocia caused by relative fetal oversize, dealing with fetal deformities, and hydroallantois [1]. Calving can be successfully induced by an intramuscular injection of prostaglandin F2¦Á (PGF2¦Á). It acts on the corpus luteum to cause luteolysis and stops the production of progesterone. Time required from treatment to calf delivery ranges from 24 to 72 hours, on average 48 hours. However, the major problem arising from this procedure is a dramatic rise in the incidence of retained placenta (RP), up to 80% in some cases [2], although no other serious harmful effects on cows and calves have been reported [3]. Retained placenta (RP) is a reproductive disorder seen in cows and water buffalos. It is characterized by the inability of the animal to expel fetal membranes within 12 hours after parturition. Its incidence varies from 1.3 to 39.2% of overall parturitions, resulting in serious economic losses in the dairy industry throughout the world [4]. The etiology of RP is complex and not yet fully understood. In the majority of cases, it
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