Polymorphonuclear neutrophil profile in genital discharge vis-à-vis pregnancy outcome in crossbred cows: effect of varying cow fertility and insemination from different bulls.
The study investigated the relationship between count and/or viability percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophil(s) (PMN) in genital discharge and pregnancy outcome during 180 estrous periods in 163 normal and repeat breeder. The relationship was also evaluated as a response to AI by three of the most frequently used bulls. The estrous periods leading to pregnancy in the normal cows were considered fertile (FE; n=66), whereas others with pregnancy failure were considered non-fertile in the remaining normal (NFE; n=86) and the entire group of repeat breeder cows (RB; n=28) cows. Another set of reproductively healthy cows, not inseminated, were also studied (C; n=10). The PMN characteristics were investigated in 3μl fraction of cervical discharge, aspirated initially at mid-estrus in C/pre-AI in the inseminated cows and subsequently 18 to 24h later. The first sample did not reveal PMN in all the cows. However, there was a variable PMN response in the second sample. The PMN count of 9.3±1.9 in the C group was least and significantly less than the FE and NFE groups. A count of 90.9±8.4 in the FE group was greater (P<0.01) than 60.9±5.1 in the NFE and 36.7±5.2 in the RB group. The PMN viability percentage among the four groups was similar (range: 61.3±6.5% to 70.1±6.4%). The average PMN count in response to AI with all the three bulls, JY-426 (47 inseminations), JY-450 (23 inseminations) and HF-5 (33 inseminations), was less in the NFE than the FE group, the differences being marked in NFE compared with FE for JY-450 (51.8±12.4 compared with 88.0±17.4; P=0.10) and HF-5 (38.5±10.1 compared with 92.9±26.5; P<0.05). It is concluded that a greater PMN count post-AI could favor pregnancy outcome. Further, PMN migration is likely to be controlled by maternal factors rather than semen characteristics.
Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, DGCN College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, CSK Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University, Palampur 176 062, Himachal Pradesh, India. Electronic address: psoodhpkv@yahoo.com.
Pankaj
P
Sood
Department of Veterinary Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Khalsa College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Amritsar 143 001, Punjab, India.
Bhavna
D000818:Animals; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000166:cytology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000662:veterinary*
Cattle; Cervical discharge; Fertility; Polymorphonuclear neutrophils