Relationship between Enzymatic Antioxidant Activities and Reproductive Hormones in the Cows with Retained Placenta in Basrah Province, Iraq

The current study was conducted to evaluate the activity of enzymatic antioxidants (superoxide dismutase [SOD], catalase [CAT], glutathione peroxidase [GSH-px], glutathione transferase [GSH-tr], and glutathione [GSH]) in the plasma of cows that suffered from retained placenta (RP), compared to cows without RP. Estrogen, progesterone, and cortisol hormones were also evaluated for the two groups of animals. In total, 38 pregnant cows were investigated in this study, and eight cows were suffering from RP (RP group) and did not release the placenta up to 12 h after giving birth. The other 30 cows did not suffer from RP (non-RP group) and left as a control. The results revealed a significant increase in CAT, GSH-tr, and GSH-px enzyme activities after calving in RP animals, compared to the other group of animals with normal placenta release before and after calving. In addition, SOD and GSH showed a significant increase in their levels before calving that reduced after giving birth, compared to the other antioxidant enzymes levels. The hormonal study also revealed a significant decrease in the estrogen level in the RP group, compared to the non-RP group, while the progesterone and cortisol showed non-significant levels in the studied groups. In conclusion, a strong relationship of RP with the antioxidant enzymatic activity and hormones in RP cow was observed in this study, which can be used to predict the incidence of RP throughout the levels of enzymatic antioxidants before parturition.