title: Comparison between lactating and non-lactating dairy cows on follicular growth and corpus luteum development, and endocrine patterns of ovarian steroids and luteinizing hormone in the estrous cycles.
abstract: The dynamics of ovarian follicle, corpus luteum (CL), and peripheral plasma ovarian steroids were compared between lactating and non-lactating cows, and a possible association of pulsatile luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion with the dynamics was examined. Lactating (n=5) and non-lactating (n=5) cows were monitored daily for follicle and CL throughout two consecutive estrous cycles (Day 0: day of ovulation). Blood samples were collected daily and at 15 min intervals for 8h on Days 2, 4, 6, 8, and 14 of the second cycle. Lactating cows had larger CL (25.4 ± 1.8mm vs. 23.5 ± 1.5mm, P<0.01) and greater progesterone concentrations (4.6 ± 1.0ng/ml vs. 3.9 ± 0.9 ng/ml, P<0.01) during mid-luteal phase compared with non-lactating cows. Maximal diameters of the first wave dominant follicle (17.2 ± 1.8mm vs. 15.5 ± 0.8mm) and the ovulatory follicle (17.9 ± 1.2mm vs. 15.2 ± 0.8mm) were greater (P<0.05) in lactating cows than in non-lactating cows during the estrous cycles with two follicular waves, but no significant differences were detected between the groups during the estrous cycles with three follicular waves. Plasma estradiol concentrations did not differ between the groups throughout the experiment. Lactating cows had more LH pulses from Days 2 to 14 than non-lactating cows. These results imply that differences in ovarian dynamics may exist between lactating and non-lactating cows, for which the increased number of LH pulses observed in lactating cows may have responsibility.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Veterinary Reproduction, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Natsumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Endo
authors.forename: Kiyosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Hideo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kamomae
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000502:physiology; D003612:Dairying; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D007774:Lactation / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D034461:Luteinization / Q000502:physiology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000502:physiology*; D010053:Ovary / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D006728:Hormones; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone