Cow uterine infections pose a challenge in dairy farming, resulting in reproductive disorders. Uterine fluid extracellular vesicles (UF-EVs) play a key role in cell-to-cell communication in the uterus, potentially holding the signs of aetiology for endometritis. We used mass spectrometry-based quantitative shotgun proteomics to compare UF-EV proteomic profiles in healthy cows (H), cows with subclinical (SE) or clinical endometritis (CLE) sampled at 28-35 days postpartum. Functional analysis was performed on embryo cultures with the exposure to different EV types. A total of 248 UF-EV proteins exhibited differential enrichment between the groups. Interestingly, in SE, EV protein signature suggests a slight suppression of inflammatory response compared to CLE-UF-EVs, clustering closer with healthy cows' profile. Furthermore, CLE-UF-EVs proteomic profile highlighted pathways associated with cell apoptosis and active inflammation aimed at pathogen elimination. In SE-UF-EVs, the regulation of normal physiological status was aberrant, showing cell damage and endometrial repair at the same time. Serine peptidase HtrA1 (HTRA1) emerged as a potential biomarker for SE. Supplementation of CLE- and SE-derived UF-EVs reduced the embryo developmental rates and quality. Therefore, further research is warranted to elucidate the precise aetiology of SE in cattle, and HTRA1 should be further explored as a potential diagnostic biomarker.
Keywords: bovine uterine fluid; endometritis; extracellular vesicles; inflammation; proteomic changes.