A Placental Inflammatory Reaction to LPS at 34 Days or Near-term Is Inhibited by the Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Flunixin Meglumine

Infectious and inflammatory conditions are among the most common causes of pregnancy loss in the horse and have been the focus of a wide group of researchers for several decades. Through this work, the endometrial and luteal responses to infection have been well-documented, as well as the ultimate pregnancy-outcome after exposure to either bacterial or inflammatory mediators during early and late gestation. However, the role of the conceptus as an active participant in the pathogenesis of disease has not been elucidated. We hypothesized that both embryonic and term placenta would respond to Escherichia coli-derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) through production of prostaglandin (PG) in a controlled, ex vivo environment. We further hypothesized that the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug flunixin meglumine (FM) would suppress LPS-induced prostaglandin production. [...]