title: Embryo development and survival in beef cattle administered ergotamine tartrate to simulate fescue toxicosis.
abstract: Two experiments were performed to determine whether administration of ergotamine tartrate altered embryo development (Exp. 1) and uterine competency to establish pregnancy (Exp. 2) in beef cattle. Animals were fed daily either 0 (CON) or 40 mug/kg body weight of ergotamine tartrate (ERGOT). Following a 30-d period on respective diets, animals in Exp. 1 were artificial inseminated at estrus (d = 0) and single embryo recoveries performed on day 7; whereas, animals in Exp. 2 received two frozen-thawed embryos on day 7. As an indicator of ergotamine effects, prolactin was decreased throughout both experiments in ERGOT compared to CON animals (p<0.05). Furthermore, rectal temperature (RT) tended to increase during both experiments in ERGOT compared to CON (p= 0.06). In Exp. 1, embryo recovery (p=0.08) and the percentage of transferable embryos (p=0.09) tended to be greater for CON than for ERGOT. Percentage of embryos that developed to compacted morula or greater was increased for CON compared to ERGOT heifers (p<0.05). In Exp. 2, pregnancy rates of transferred embryos did not differ between treatment groups. Thus, administration of ERGOT to simulate fescue toxicosis altered developmental potential of embryos, but does not appear to affect uterine competency to establish pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996-4574, USA.
authors.forename: Gustavo M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Schuenemann
authors.forename: Mitch E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Hockett
authors.forename: J Lannett
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Nancy R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Rohrbach
authors.forename: Kevin F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Breuel
authors.forename: F Neal
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Schrick
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology*; D004032:Diet; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000662:veterinary; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D004878:Ergotamine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000633:toxicity; D005260:Female; D047109:Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D008954:Models, Biological; D006109:Poaceae / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000382:microbiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011388:Prolactin; D004878:Ergotamine