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Objective: To determine the possible inflammatory reaction of the bovine cervix following cytologic sampling.
Design: Obserational cross-sectional stuoly.
Animals: Twenty four pregnant cows (2—4 month) and 9 non- pregnant cows in the luteal phase. Procedure: Smears were prepared from cervical secretions of pregnant cows at days zero and three (8 cows), zero and seven (8
cows) and zero and fourteen (8 cows). Smears of cervical secretions were prepared from non-pregnant cows at days eight (9 cows),
eleven (3 cows) and fifteen (6 cows) of the oestrus cycle. The smears were stained with Giemsa stain and examined under oil immersion lens. Twenty fields of each smear were examined, then the cells were differentiated and counted. Statistical analysis: Analysis of variance (ANOVA) Student
test. Duncan’s multiple range test. Results: Statistical analysis showed no differences in the precentage ofepithelial cells, large vacuolated epithclial cells and neutrophils in the non-pregnant cows at days 8, II and 15 of the oestrus cycle. In the pregnant COWS there were no significant differences in the percentage of epithelial cells and large vacuolated epithelial cells on days 0,3, 7 and 14 of sampling. It was also revealed that there was a significant difference between the mean percentage of
neutrophils on clay 3(2.47±1.36) and clays 7 and 14. In pregnant cows, occurrence of inflammatory reactions continued until day 3 of sampling and then relieved later. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that the routine procedure used for cervical secretion sampling does not induce any
detectable cellular inflammatoiy reactions. J. Fac. Jt. Med. uviv. Tehran. 57, 3: 93-95, 2002.