title: Endocrinological and immunological changes during the postpartum period and their association with establishment of new pregnancy, metabolic status and clinical diseases in Estonian high producing dairy cows"
reg no: ETF5733
project type: Estonian Science Foundation research grant
subject: 4.5. Veterinary Medicine
status: accepted
institution: EAU Faculty of Veterinary Science
head of project: Kalle Kask
duration: 01.01.2004 - 31.12.2007
description: To obtain overview about endocrinological and immunological changes in Estonian high producing dairy cows. To explore possible pathophysiological mechanisms that could explain direct or indirect effects of those changes on fertility performance and clinical diseases (mastitis, metritis). To expand our understanding about the postpartum metabolic processes. To achieve this objective particular aims will be set:
1. Using endocrine investigations (PGF2¿, P4, LH) and uterine bacteriology to determine postpartum uterine status and resumption of ovarian function during first 10 weeks PP.
2. To performe investigations of polymorphonuclear leukocyte chemotactic function, to clarifie is there a immune function impairement on those cows who had prolonged negative energy balance.
3. To evaluate clinical symptoms of mastitis in all experimental groups and determine the pathogens during 10 weeks PP.
4. To performe in all cows, involved into the experiment, detection of some parameters (body condition score, insuline-like growth factors, ketone bodies, uurea), which will help to describe metabolic status of those cows, and possible influence of metabolic changes to the uterine status and resumption of ovarian activity.

project group
no name institution position  
1.Piret KalmusEPMÜlektor 
2.Kalle KaskEAU Faculty of Veterinary ScienceAssoc. prof. 
3.Jevgeni KurõkinEPMÜ 
4.Raivo LindjärvEPMÜdotsent