Changes in the immunological characteristics of vaginal secretions of cows with genital mycoplasmosis when an immunomodulator is included in the treatment regimen

Abstract

Purpose:  the aim is to study the effect of the inclusion of the immunomodulator thymalin in the treatment regimen of genital mycoplasmosis of cattle on the immunological characteristics of vaginal secretions.Materials and methods. For the experiment, three groups of pregnant cows were formed, 8 heads each. The first group – pregnant cows with genital mycoplasmosis for the treatment of which the antibiotic traksovet 100 (tulatromycin) was used at a dose of 2.5 mg per 1 kg of animal body weight, subcutaneously, once 40 days before the expected delivery. The second group - pregnant cows with genital mycoplasmosis for the treatment of which the antibiotic traksovet 100 was used at a dose of 2.5 mg per 1 kg of animal body weight, subcutaneously, once 40 days before the expected delivery and the immunomodulator timalin at a dose of 0.1 mg per 1 kg of animal body weight, intramuscularly, twice with an interval of 72 hours. The third group (control) – clinically healthy pregnant cows. In experimental groups of cows, 2 weeks after the start of treatment, the effectiveness of therapy was monitored by conducting a PCR test for Mycoplasma spp. Before the start of therapy, vaginal secretions were collected from the walls of the vagina in animals of all groups. Repeated secretion from the first and second experimental group of cows was carried out 14 days after the start of treatment. In vaginal secretions, the content of - Ig G, Ig M, Ig A, sIg A and their total amount were determined by radial immunodiffusion in Mancini gel, lysozyme activity and its reaction (pH) was determined.Results. In the group of animals for the treatment of which the traxovet was used 2 weeks after the start of therapy, Mycoplasma spp. it was detected in 2 cows out of 8 (therapeutic efficacy was 75 %); in a group of cows where traxovet was used in combination with thymalin positive tests for Mycoplasma spp. there was no (therapeutic efficacy – 100 %). The use of an antibiotic for the treatment of cows with mycoplasmosis leads to the restoration to the level of healthy animals only Ig M and sIg A, whereas, when included in the thymalin therapy regimen, all the studied indicators reached their values in healthy cows.Conclusion. The use of a combination of tulatromycin and thymalin for the treatment of cows with genital mycoplasmosis provides a higher percentage of recovery, and also contributes to the restoration of the immuno-biological properties of vaginal secretions.