Development and Evaluation of a Method of Hormonal Treatment to Increase Fertility in Dairy Cows

The objectives were: 1) to develop a practical method for improving conception rates of dairy cows by administering progesterone during the critical period of the luteal phase prior to first insemination, 2) to determine which cows respond best to such a progesterone treatment, and 3) to determine physiological changes that are associated with this treatment. Experiment 1, conducted in the US and Israel, tested three treatment protocols. Holstein cows: 1) served as controls, 2) received two injections of prostaglanding F2a (PGF) 14 days apart, or 3) received two PGF injections and were inserted with a progesterone releasing intravaginal device (PRID) for 6 days beginning 9 days after the first injection of PGF. Fertility was positively related to plasma progesterone concentations prior to the second PGF injection, but PRID treatment did not improve fertility in cows with low progesterone. Cows in synchronized estrus 2-8 days after the second injection of PGF had higher fertility and better reproductive performance than non-synchronized cows. Experiment 3, conducted in Israel, involved three studies that assessed effect of PRID treatment on: 1) progesterone concentration in ovarian tissue and uterine tissue and fluids, 2) changes in systemic LH and estradiol, and 3) development and function of dominant follicles. Treatment with PRID increased progesterone in uterine tissue and fluid exclusive of effects on systemic concentrations. Low progesterone resulted in persistent follicles that exceeded normal size and produced excessive estrogen. Experiment 4, conducted in the US, evaluated influence of endogenous progesterone on embryo development. Cows were given two injections of PGF 14 days apart and single embryos were recovered 7 days after estrus. Among cyclic cows, there was a linear relationship between progesterone concentration and percentage of cows from which an embryo was recovered. Overall these experiments show that systemic progesterone concentrations affect fertility in high-producing dairy cows through effects on follicular development and embryo survival

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Post-insemination milk progesterone concentration and embryo survival in dairy cows

Theriogenology ◽

10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.02.007 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 64 (5) ◽

pp. 1212-1224 ◽

Cited By ~ 126

Author(s):

A.J.H. Stronge ◽

J.M. Sreenan ◽

M.G. Diskin ◽

J.F. Mee ◽

D.A. Kenny ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Progesterone Concentration ◽

Embryo Survival

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Associations between milk progesterone concentration on different days and with embryo survival during the early luteal phase in dairy cows

Theriogenology ◽

10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.08.015 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 65 (7) ◽

pp. 1435-1441 ◽

Cited By ~ 80

Author(s):

R.E. McNeill ◽

M.G. Diskin ◽

J.M. Sreenan ◽

D.G. Morris

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Luteal Phase ◽

Progesterone Concentration ◽

Embryo Survival

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A comparative study of the effect of 2 hormonal treatment protocols on the reproductive performance of previously anoestrous dairy cows

Journal of the South African Veterinary Association ◽

10.4102/jsava.v77i1.337 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 77 (1) ◽

Author(s):

B.V.E. Segwagwe ◽

J. Malmo ◽

K.L. Macmillan ◽

P.D. Mansell

Keyword(s):

Comparative Study ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Treatment Protocol ◽

Hormonal Treatment ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Mating Period ◽

Start Date ◽

Lactating Dairy Cows ◽

Oestradiol Benzoate

The objective of this study was to compare the reproductive performance of anoestrous dairy cows treated just prior to the mating start date (MSD) with a Controlled Internal Drug Releasing Device (CIDR) which was placed intravaginaly for either 6 or 8 days, and a combination of oestradiol benzoate. Lactating dairy cows (n - 926) that had been diagnosed with anovulatory anoestrus were divided into two sub-groups. A hormonal treatment protocol that involved the use of a CIDR device containing 1.9 g of progesterone was inserted into the vagina of each cow and left intravaginally for either 6 (6-day group, n - 441) or 8 days (8-day group, n - 485). Every cow in the trial was inseminated after being detected in oestrus from Day -2 onwards (where Day 0, was a herd's MSD), using an appropriate detection aid according to the herds' preference. Cows that had been seen in oestrus and were inseminated by Day 2 were selected for re-synchrony. The standardised re-synchrony involved the re-insertion of a previously used CIDR device into the vagina of each cow on Day 14, together with an injection of 1.0mgoestradiol benzoate i.m. This CIDR device was removed on Day 22 and each of these cows injected with 1.0 mg oestradiol benzoate i.m. on Day 23. Each re-synchronised cow that was detected in oestrus was re-inseminated. Treatment with an 8-day CIDR increased the proportion of cows submitted for insemination within the first 3 days of the MSD, compared with the 6-day group (83.7% vs 71.2 %, respectively, P < 0.001), as well as the proportion of cows conceiving within the first 3 days of MSD (36.2% vs 27.7 %, P = 0.02), but reduced both the interval from MSD to the first service (4.5. + 0.5 vs 6.8 + 0.7, P = 0.01), and the interval from MSD to conception (28.1 + 1.5 vs 34.0 + 1.8, P =0.009). A greater percentage of the cows in the 6-day group that were not pregnant to the first insemination were submitted for a second insemination by Day 28 compared with the 8-day group (81.1 % vs 68.3 %, P <0.001). Conception rates for cows submitted for this second insemination by Day 28 of the MSD were also higher in the 6-day than in the 8-day group (48.4 % vs 33.9 %, P = 0.009). The percentage of cows pregnant at the end of a herd's AI period of 6 weeks did not differ (57.1% vs 54.8%for 8-day and 6-day groups, respectively, P = 0.42); neither did the proportion of cows pregnant at the end of the a herd's combined AI and natural mating period of 21 weeks (81.4% vs 79.2 %, for 8-day and 6-day groups respectively P = 0.36). Treatment of anovulatory anoestrous dairy cows with a combination of an 8-day CIDR and oestradiol benzoate before the MSD improved their reproductive performance by increasing the portion of cows submitted for insemination within the first 3-days of the MSD by reducing the interval from MSD to first service and by increasing the conception rate to the first insemination to collectively reduce the average interval from MSD to conception.

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Effect of various hCG treatment protocols on luteal characteristics, plasma progesterone concentration, and pregnancy in normal cyclic Indian crossbred dairy cows

Tropical Animal Health and Production ◽

10.1007/s11250-021-02665-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 53 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Sanjay Agarwal ◽

Harihar Prasad Gupta ◽

Shiv Prasad ◽

Pawan Kumar Verma ◽

Afroza Khanam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Progesterone Concentration ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

Plasma Progesterone

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Effectiveness of Different Hormonal Treatment Protocols on Treatment of Postpartum Anoestrus in Cross-Bred Dairy Cows

Nepalese Veterinary Journal ◽

10.3126/nvj.v35i0.25212 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 35 ◽

pp. 1-8

Author(s):

P.K. Rana ◽

G. Gautam ◽

B. Devkota ◽

S.K. Shah ◽

S. Barsila ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Single Dose ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Pregnancy Rate ◽

Dairy Farm ◽

Hormonal Treatment ◽

Treatment Protocols ◽

History Record ◽

Expression Rate ◽

Major Factors ◽

Rectal Palpation

Postpartum anoestrus (PPA) is one of the major factors causing prolonged calving interval & that leading to decreased annual milk production. Hormonal treatments can be effective tools for treatment of PPA when nutritional & environmental management are good. So, objective of this study was to know the comparative effectiveness of different hormonal protocols on treatment of PPA in cross-bred dairy cows. Used protocols were: single dose of GnRH, Ovsynch with TRIU-B and single dose of PGF2α injection which were used in three different groups, each containing ten animals. GnRH and Ovsynch with TRIU-B were used in postpartum true anoestrus cattle with inactive ovaries while PGF2α was used in postpartum silent oestrus condition having palpable corpus luteum and the condition were identifi ed through rectal palpation and history record. Cows treated with Ovsynch+TRIU-B showed higher oestrus expression rate within one week (80%) than cows treated with GnRH (10%) and PGF2α (50%). Ovulation rate was also comparatively higher in Ovsynch+TRIU-B group (100%) than GnRH (90%) and PGF2α (70%). But the pregnancy rate, checked after 45 days of first AI through rectal palpation, was comparatively higher in GnRH group (40%) than in Ovsynch+TRIU-B (30%) and PGF2α (20%). Among treated cows, pregnancy rate was found to be signifi cantly higher (P=0.02) in cows with ≥100 days duration of postpartum anoestrus (53.84%) than in cows with 100 days duration (0%). In conclusion, ovsynch with intravaginal progesterone (p4) releasing device was more effective at inducing oestrus and synchronizing ovulation than the single GnRH injection. However, single GnRH injection was as effective as ovsynch with intravaginal p4 releasing device for pregnancy outcomes in anoestrous crossbred dairy cows in a commercial dairy farm where formulated concentrate ration is daily fed.

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Progesterone concentration, follicular development and induction of cyclicity in dairy cows receiving intravaginal progesterone inserts

Animal Reproduction Science ◽

10.1016/j.anireprosci.2007.12.005 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 110 (1-2) ◽

pp. 56-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 62

Author(s):

R.L.A. Cerri ◽

H.M. Rutigliano ◽

R.G.S. Bruno ◽

J.E.P. Santos

Keyword(s):

Dairy Cows ◽

Follicular Development ◽

Progesterone Concentration

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Follicle development in cryopreserved bitch ovarian tissue grafted to immunodeficient mouse

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rd11166 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (3) ◽

pp. 461 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

L. Commin ◽

S. Buff ◽

E. Rosset ◽

C. Galet ◽

A. Allard ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Stromal Cells ◽

Histological Analysis ◽

Smooth Muscle Actin ◽

Ovarian Tissue ◽

Follicular Development ◽

Slow Freezing ◽

Angiogenic Factor ◽

Muscle Actin ◽

Once Daily

The present study evaluated: (1) in vivo follicular development in canine ovarian tissue after slow freezing and xenotransplantation; and (2) the use of erythropoietin (EPO) as an angiogenic factor to optimise the transplantation procedure. Frozen–thawed ovarian tissue from five bitches was grafted into severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice (n = 47) treated with or without EPO (500 IU kg–1, once daily for 3 days) (Groups A and B, respectively) and analysed after 0, 1, 8 or 16 weeks. Follicle grade, follicle density, follicle morphology and stromal cells density were assessed by histological analysis, whereas vascularisation of the graft was quantified by immunohistochemistry with anti-α-smooth muscle actin antibody. Despite a massive loss of follicles after grafting, secondary follicle density was higher at 8 and 16 weeks than at 1 week regardless of EPO treatment. EPO significantly improved early follicle morphology and stromal cell density after 8 weeks and blood vessel density at 16 weeks after transplantation (P < 0.05). Intact secondary follicles with more than three granulosa cells layers were observed 16 weeks after transplantation. The results suggest that canine ovarian tissue can be successfully preserved by our slow-freezing protocol because the tissue showed follicular growth after xenotransplantation. EPO treatment did not lessen the massive loss of follicles after transplantation.

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