scholarly journals Insulin increases 17β-estradiol production by the dominant follicle of the first postpartum follicle wave in dairy cows

Reproduction ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 127 (5) ◽  
pp. 537-545 ◽  
Author(s):  
S T Butler ◽  
S H Pelton ◽  
W R Butler

Prolonged anovulation following parturition has a negative impact on fertility in dairy cows. Insulin plays an important role in ovarian function in many species, and is profoundly depressed in dairy cows during early lactation. We hypothesized that hypoinsulinemia during early lactation represents a key indicator of nutritional status, resulting in delayed ovulation. Holstein cows (n = 10) were subjected to either a hyperinsulinemic–euglycemic clamp (INS) or saline infusion (CTL) for 96 h, beginning on day 10 after parturition during the first postpartum follicular wave. Insulin was infused continuously (0.3 μg/kg body weight per h) via a jugular catheter, and euglycemia was maintained by infusion of glucose. Circulating insulin concentrations were elevated 2.6-fold in INS cows compared with CTL cows (0.73 ± 0.026 vs 0.28 ± 0.026 ng/ml; P < 0.001). Insulin treatment did not affect (P > 0.05) luteinizing hormone (LH) pulse frequency, pulse amplitude or mean circulating LH. Circulating estradiol was elevated in INS cows (P < 0.01) and circulating testosterone also tended to be higher. The ratio of testosterone to estradiol was not different between treatments for the initial 30 h of infusion, but was significantly reduced thereafter in response to insulin (P < 0.01), suggesting that hyperinsulinemia increased follicular aromatase activity. Insulin treatment also resulted in reduced circulating nonesterified fatty acids, and increased circulating total and free insulin-like growth factor-I concentrations. Insulin infusion increased estradiol secretion by the dominant follicle of the first postpartum follicular wave in dairy cows, and this effect appears not to be mediated through changes in pulsatile LH release.

Reproduction ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiho Kawashima ◽  
Saori Fukihara ◽  
Mayumi Maeda ◽  
Etsushi Kaneko ◽  
Carlos Amaya Montoya ◽  
...  

Recent studies suggest that IGF-I is a crucial regulatory factor in follicular growth during earlypost-partumperiod. The aim of the present study was to determine in detail the changing profiles of metabolic and reproductive hormones in relation to ovulation of the dominant follicle (DF) of the first follicular wavepost-partumin high-producing dairy cows. Plasma concentrations of related hormones in 22 multiparous Holstein cows were measured from 4 weeks pre-partum to 3 weekspost-partum, and the development of DF was observed with colour Doppler ultrasound. Thirteen cows showed ovulation by 15.2 dayspost-partum. Anovulatory cows showed higher GH and lower IGF-I levels than those in ovulatory cows during the peri-partum period. Each DF developed similarly, and a clear blood flow in the follicle wall was observed despite ovulation or anovulation. In addition, detailed endocrine profiles were analyzed in 9 out of the 22 cows. Five cows showed an increase in plasma oestradiol-17β (E2) with follicular growth followed by E2 peak, LH surge and ovulation. In these cows, plasma IGF-I concentrations remained high until 10 dayspost-partumfollowed by a gradual decrease. Subsequently, the insulin level increased together with the E2 peak towards ovulation. These profiles were not observed in anovulatory cows. In conclusion, our data strongly support the concept that IGF-I and insulin represent ‘metabolic signals’ of the resumption of ovarian functionpost-partumin high-producing dairy cows. Moreover, we provide the first visual evidence that both ovulatory and anovulatory DFs of the first follicular wavepost-partumare similarly supplied with active blood flow.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 917 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Mezzetti ◽  
Andrea Minuti ◽  
Massimo Bionaz ◽  
Fiorenzo Piccioli-Cappelli ◽  
Erminio Trevisi

The anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects exerted by Aloe on monogastric mammals suggest it as a potential strategy to address the tremendous metabolic alterations that affect dairy cows during their transition to calving. A group of 20 multiparous Italian Holstein dairy cows were housed in freestalls and allocated into two homogeneous groups to receive either 200 g/d of water (CTR) or 200 g/day of Aloe arborescens Mill. whole plant homogenate through a rumen tube (AAM) between −14 and 14 days from calving (DFC). From −14 to 35 DFC, the BCS, and milk yield were measured, and blood samples were collected to assess the hematochemical profile. Data underwent ANOVA testing using a mixed model for repeated measurements, including the treatment and time and their interactions as fixed effects. Compared to CTR cows, AAM cows had a less pronounced BCS loss in early lactation (p < 0.01), indicating less mobilization of body reserves. Compared to CTR cows, AAM cows had a lower plasma concentration of nonesterified fatty acids and beta hydroxybutyrate (p < 0.01 and = 0.01 respectively) that, paired with the lower butterfat content and fat/protein ratio in their milk (p = 0.03 and < 0.01 respectively), indicates that Aloe reduced the mobilization of body fats. AAM cows had a reduced concentration of myeloperoxidase in plasma and a lower SCC in milk compared to CTR cows (p = 0.02 for both), indicating an anti-inflammatory effect of Aloe. Furthermore, AAM cows had a lower plasma concentration of ceruloplasmin (p < 0.05) and higher plasma concentration of cholesterol, retinol, and paraoxonase compared to CTR cows (p < 0.01, < 0.01 and < 0.05 respectively), indicating Aloe was effective in mitigating the acute phase response in early lactation. Finally, AAM cows had lower plasma creatinine concentrations around calving (p < 0.05), a lower concentration of plasma bilirubin, and a higher concentration of plasma tocopherol compared to CTR cows (p = 0.01 for both). These data suggest Aloe has anti-hyperlipidemic and anti-inflammatory effects on transition dairy cows that could have ameliorated liver and kidney function disruption and increased the availability of body antioxidants in early lactation.


2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Radojica Djokovic ◽  
Zoran Ilic ◽  
Vladimir Kurcubic ◽  
Milan Petrovic ◽  
Violeta Caro-Petrovic ◽  
...  

The objective of the present study was to investigate nutritional and metabolic status in Simmental cows during early and mid-lactation. Fifteen early lactating cows and 15 mid lactating cows were chosen for the investigation. Blood samples were collected to measure beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), triglycerides (TG), glucose and the activity of aspartate transaminase (AST). Early lactation as compared to mid lactating cows were found to have significantly higher (P<0.05) blood serum concentrations of NEFA, BHB and AST and lower blood serum concentrations of glucose (P<0.05) and TG (P>0.05). Significantly negative correlations were observed between BHB and glucose (P<0.01), BHB and TG (P<0.05), NEFA and glucose (P<0.05). Significantly positive correlations were observed between NEFA and BHB (P<0.05), NEFA and AST (P<0.05), glucose and TG (P<0.01). The results suggest that these parameters can serve as useful indicators of the nutritional and metabolic status of dairy cows during lactation.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 162 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Van Steelandt ◽  
V. M. Tanco ◽  
M. H. Ratto ◽  
G. P. Adams

Systemic administration of ovulation-inducing factor (OIF), discovered recently in seminal plasma of llamas, alpacas (induced ovulators), and cattle (spontaneous ovulators), stimulated ovulation in >90% of female llamas and alpacas. The objective of the present study was to test the hypothesis that purified OIF from llama seminal plasma would induce ovulation in cattle. Peripubertal heifers, weighing 323 � 27 kg, were used to minimize the confounding effect of spontaneous ovulation. Heifers (n = 11/group) were treated intramuscularly with 1.0 mg/100 kg of purified OIF, 100 µg of GnRH (positive control), or 2.5 mL of phosphate-buffered saline (negative control). Ovarian dynamics were monitored daily by transrectal ultrasonography for 10 days post-treatment. Blood samples were collected at 0.5- to 1-h intervals for 8 h, beginning at the time of treatment. Ovulation occurred in 9/11 (82%) of GnRH-treated heifers and in 1/11 (9%) heifers in each of the OIF- and saline-treated groups (P < 0.05). A surge in plasma LH concentration was detected within 30 min of treatment in the GnRH group (2.2 � 0.1 ng mL–1; P < 0.05), but remained at the basal level in the OIF- and saline-treated groups (0.3 � 0.1 and 0.2 � 0.1 ng mL–1, respectively). The onset of regression of the dominant follicle present at the time of treatment was earlier (P < 0.05) in OIF- v. saline-treated heifers (3.1 � 0.6 days v. 6.0 � 0.7 days). The interval from treatment to follicular wave emergence was shorter (P < 0.05) in GnRH- and OIF-treated heifers than in those treated with saline (1.1 � 0.4 days, 1.5 � 0.3 days, and 3.1 � 0.3 days, respectively). A similar pattern was observed for emergence of the second follicular wave (5.1 � 0.7 days, 4.6 � 0.5 days, and 6.6 � 0.4 days, respectively). Purified OIF did not induce ovulation in heifers but hastened both the regression of the extant dominant follicle and follicular wave emergence. Results provide a rationale for the hypothesis that OIF from seminal plasma is involved in controlling follicular wave dynamics in spontaneously ovulating species (e.g., Bos taurus) through a suppressive effect on the dominant follicle. The mechanism of action on ovarian follicular wave dynamics, as well as species specificity, remains to be elucidated.


2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 242
Author(s):  
C. Kawashima ◽  
N. Sudo ◽  
C. Amaya Montoya ◽  
E. Kaneko ◽  
M. Matsui ◽  
...  

Recent studies have shown that IGF-1 is a crucial factor for ovarian follicular development in mammals. In postpartum (pp) dairy cows, plasma IGF-1 and estradiol (E2) levels in ovulatory cows at the first follicular wave pp are higher than in anovulatory cows. However, the plasma IGF-1 profile in an ovulatory or anovulatory dominant follicle (DF), which have different E2 production, at the first follicular wave pp have not yet been elucidated. Thus, we investigated the changing profile of plasma IGF-1 levels during first follicular wave pp. In 22 multiparous Holstein cows, blood samples were obtained 2 times/week from 4 weeks prepartum to 3 weeks pp, and the first follicular wave was monitored by ultrasound 2 times/week from 7 days pp to ovulatory phase. Detailed IGF-1 profiles in blood were determined during DF growth and maturation 4 times/day from 10 days pp to 7 days after the first ovulation in 5 ovulatory cows and to 20 days pp in 4 anovulatory cows; the data were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA, and Student&apos;s t-test. There was no interaction between groups and time within the prepartum or the pp period. The ovulatory cows (n = 13/22) with an estrogen-active dominant (EAD: high plasma E2 level with peak) follicle showed higher IGF-1 levels than anovulatory cows (n = 9/22) with an estrogen-inactive dominant (EID: low plasma E2 level without peak) follicle during the prepartum (117 � 8 vs. 91 � 5 ng mL-1; P &lt; 0.05) and the pp (91 � 4 vs. 64 � 4 ng mL-1; P &lt; 0.001) period. Especially noteworthy, during the first follicular wave pp in ovulatory cows, the plasma IGF-1 levels were maintained at a high level until E2 levels increased, followed by an LH surge. We observed that the EAD follicle in ovulatory cows ovulated. To further examine the IGF-1 system in the intra-follicular environment, we used the EAD and EID follicles from ovaries of dairy cows obtained at a slaughterhouse. The EAD and EID follicles were classified on the basis of follicle diameter and E2 concentrations in follicular fluid (FF). The significant differences of factors between EAD and EID were analyzed by Student&apos;s t-test. The expression of IGF-1 mRNA was not detected in follicular cells in either EAD and EID, suggesting that IGF-1 in FF is mainly derived from liver. The free IGF-1 levels in FF in EAD (4.8 � 0.5 ng mL-1) were higher than those in EID (2.7 � 0.1 ng mL-1; P &lt; 0.05). In addition, the expression of type 1 IGF receptor (IGFR-1) mRNA in EAD was higher than hat in EID (P &lt; 0.0001). From the results of the present study, it is apparent that the EAD follicle during the first follicular wave pp in ovulatory cows sufficiently expressed IGFR-1, and a liver-derived IGF-1 stimulates E2 production in the follicle to ovulate. In conclusion, our data suggest that a high concentration of IGF-1, secreted from the liver, during the peripartum period may be one of important factors for the appearance of an ovulatory follicle during the first follicular wave pp cows.


2012 ◽  
Vol 58 (1) ◽  
pp. 10-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiho KAWASHIMA ◽  
Motozumi MATSUI ◽  
Takashi SHIMIZU ◽  
Katsuya KIDA ◽  
Akio MIYAMOTO

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Jimena Yapura ◽  
Reuben J. Mapletoft ◽  
Jaswant Singh ◽  
Roger Pierson ◽  
Jonathan Naile ◽  
...  

Effects of the non-steroidal aromatase inhibitor letrozole on ovarian function in cattle were determined. The hypothesis that letrozole would arrest growth of the dominant follicle, resulting in emergence of a new follicular wave at a predictable post-treatment interval, was tested. Heifers were assigned randomly to four groups 4 days after follicular ablation (~2½ days after wave emergence) and given intravenous doses of 500 (n = 9), 250 (n = 10), or 125 µg kg–1 (n = 10) letrozole or phosphate-buffered saline (controls; n = 10). Blood was collected and ovarian structures were monitored daily by transrectal ultrasonography. Plasma concentrations of LH and FSH were measured by radioimmunoassay; plasma concentrations of letrozole were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. A single intravenous dose of letrozole did not induce regression of the dominant follicle present at the time of treatment, nor did it directly affect FSH release. Conversely, treatment with letrozole increased endogenous concentrations of LH and extended the lifespan of the dominant follicle, which delayed the next FSH surge and subsequent follicular wave emergence. Letrozole continues to have potential as a non-steroidal treatment for controlling ovarian function in cattle.


2017 ◽  
Vol 313 (5) ◽  
pp. R526-R534 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luciano S. Caixeta ◽  
Sarah L. Giesy ◽  
Christopher S. Krumm ◽  
James W. Perfield ◽  
Anthony Butterfield ◽  
...  

Modern dairy cows meet the energy demand of early lactation by calling on hormonally driven mechanisms to increase the use of lipid reserves. In this context, we recently reported that fibroblast growth factor-21 (FGF21), a hormone required for efficient use of lipid reserves in rodents, is upregulated in periparturient dairy cows. Increased plasma FGF21 in early lactation coincides with elevated circulating concentrations of glucagon (GCG) and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA). To assess the relative contribution of these factors in regulating FGF21, two experiments were performed in energy-sufficient, nonpregnant, nonlactating dairy cows. In the first study, cows were injected with saline or GCG every 8 h over a 72-h period. GCG increased hepatic FGF21 mRNA by an average of fivefold over matched controls but had no effect on plasma FGF21. In the second study, cows were infused and injected with saline, infused with Intralipid and injected with saline, or infused with Intralipid and injected with GCG. Infusions and injections were administered intravenously over 16 h and subcutaneously every 8 h, respectively. Intralipid infusion increased plasma NEFA from 92 to 550 µM within 3 h and increased plasma FGF21 from 1.3 to >11 ng/ml 6 h later; FGF21 mRNA increased by 34-fold in liver but remained invariant in adipose tissue. GCG injections during the Intralipid infusion had no additional effects on plasma NEFA, liver FGF21 mRNA, or plasma FGF21. These data implicate plasma NEFA as a key factor triggering hepatic production and increased circulating concentrations of FGF21 in early lactation.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 225
Author(s):  
U. H. Kim ◽  
G. H. Suh ◽  
I. H. Kim

Treatment with estradiol benzoate (EB), compared to GnRH, in a controlled internal drug release (CIDR)-based timed AI protocol induced relatively asynchronous follicular wave emergence, resulting in ovulation of smaller ovulating follicles (Kim et al. 2005 Theriogenology 63, 260-268). In this study, we compared new follicular wave emergence and development following treatment with EB (2 mg) plus progesterone (50 mg) at a growing (Day 3 after ovulation) or a static (Day 8) phase of the dominant follicle during the first follicular wave in CIDR-treated, lactating dairy cows. Previously synchronized, lactating dairy cows received CIDRs (InterAg, Hamilton, New Zealand; Day 0) 3 days after ovulation and were assigned to two treatment groups and a control group. Cows in the T1 group (n = 11) received 2 mg EB (SY Esrone; Samyang, Seoul, Korea) and 50 mg P4 (SY Ovaron; Samyang) i.m., and those in the control group (n = 10) received no treatment at that time. Other previously synchronized cows received a CIDR (Day 0) with injections of 2 mg EB plus 50 mg P4 i.m. 8 days after ovulation (T2 group, n = 10). Thereafter, all cows received PGF2� (Lutalyse; Pharmacia & Upjohn, Puurs, Belgium) at the time of CIDR removal on Day 7, and GnRH (Conceral; Dongbang Co., Seoul, Korea) on Day 9. Ovaries of each cow were examined by transrectal ultrasonography (Sonoace 600 with 7.5 MHz linear-array transducer; Medison Co., Ltd, Seoul, Korea) every 24 h from Days 0 to 9, on Day 11, and on Day 14 of treatment to observe changes in ovarian structures (follicles and corpora lutea (CL)). Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test, Kruskal-Wallis test, and ANOVA using an SAS program (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA). Follicular wave emergence occurred within 7 days in 3/10 of the control group, 9/11 of the T1 group, and 9/10 of the T2 group (P < 0.05). The interval to wave emergence did not differ (P > 0.05) among groups (3.7 � 1.2, 4.8 � 0.5, 5.9 � 0.3 days, respectively). While the diameters of dominant follicles on Day 0 were greater (P < 0.01) in the T2 group (14.3 � 1.2 mm) than in the control (9.4 � 0.6 mm) and T1 (10.5 � 0.7 mm) group, diameters of preovulatory follicles on Day 9 were significantly smaller (P < 0.01) in the T1 (13.6 � 0.7 mm) and T2 (12.3 � 0.5 mm) groups than in the control group (16.4 � 0.8 mm). Synchronized ovulation by 40 h after the GnRH injection (Day 11) occurred in 10/10 of the control group, 10/11 of the T1 group, and 9/10 of the T2 group (P > 0.05). In conclusion, administration of 2 mg EB plus 50 mg P4 at both a growing and a static phase of the dominant follicle during the first follicular wave results in synchronous follicular wave emergence and development and also synchronized ovulation in CIDR-treated, lactating dairy cows.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document