The study was designed to test the effects of dietary fatty acid supplementation on IFN-γ, IL2, and IL10 gene expressions, and also endometrial cytology in early lactating cows. From d 5-50 postpartum (PP), cows (n = 30; 6/treatment) were fed diets that were isonitrogenous, isoenergetic and isolipid containing 0 (Control), 1.25, 2.5 or 5 % menhaden fish meal (FM) or 2.3% Ca salts of fish oil fatty acids (CaFOFA). Samples for endometrial cytology (low-volume uterine lavage) were obtained on days 25 and 50 PP. A subjective score of 0-3 was assigned with 0 representing the absence of inflammation and 3 as a severe inflammation. On day 50 postpartum, uterine endometrial biopsies were collected for gene expression analysis. Expression of IFN-γ, IL2, and IL10 were tested by real-time PCR using TaqMan primers/probes. Results were analyzed using comparative critical threshold (ΔΔCT) method in which the amount of target RNA was adjusted to a reference, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase. The initial cytology data were transformed and then were analyzed using mixed models for a completely randomized design with repeated measures. The gene expression data were analyzed using general linear models for a completely randomized design. The cytology data showed that the dietary groups had no effect on uterine inflammation (P=0.07). The effect of time and the interaction of time and treatment were not significant (P>0.16). Compare with the Control, gene expression of IFN-γ (P=0.65; 0.75, 0.58, 0.65 and 0.37, respectively), IL2 (P=0.079; 0.81, 0.26, 0.36 and 0.35, respectively) and IL10 (P=0.087; 2.76, 0.83, 1.75 and 0.39, respectively) were all similar among the supplemented groups. The results demonstrated that the dietary treatments had no apparent effect on the cytokines gene expression and uterine inflammation.

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