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Ovariectomized cows were treated with either estrogen, progesterone or adrenogorticotropic hormone (ACTH). Each cow's uterus was inoculated with 1x10(6)Corynebacterium pyogenes organisms. The cows were evaluated by rectal examination for signs of uterine infection. Peripheral leukocytic phagocytosis was determined by chemiluminescence at the beginning (Day 4) and end (Day 21) of the experiment. Uterine cultures were obtained at the end. None of the estrogen-treated cows developed signs of uterine infection, but all the other cows did develop uterine disease. All the infected cows showed clinical improvement at the experimental end (Day 21). There were no differences between groups for leukocytic phagocytosis on Day 4, but on Day 21, values for progesterone-treated and control cows were similar but greater than those for estrogen or ACTH-treated cows, which were similar. Leukocytic phagocytosis values for all cows were lower on Day 21 than on Day 4. Most of the estrogen- and ACTH-treated cows had negative intrauterine cultures on Day 21 while most of controls and progesterone-treated cows had positive cultures.

Uterine flushings, cervical mucus swabs and udder secretions collected at weekly intervals from five mixed breed beef cows (four Brucella abortus strain 19 vaccinates, and 1 non-vaccinate) were cultured for Brucella abortus . Prior to sampling, four of the five had aborted 7-to 8-month-old fetuses and one gave brith to a weak calf. The fetuses and/or udder secretions from the cows were culture positive for B. abortus at the time of parturition. Three of the cows developed persistent udder infections. Two of these cows were also shown to have brucellae in their cervical mucus for 10 and 20 days and in their uterine flushings for 17 and 41 days after parturition, respectively. One other cow had brucellae in the cervical mucus for 16 days and in the uterine flushings for up to 36 days post-abortion. All attempts to isolate the organism from this cow's udder secretions in culture were negative. In two cows with culture-positive uterine flushings, isolations of brucellae were made subsequent to normal postpabortion return to estrus.