Effect of human chorionic gonadotropin administered early in the estrous cycle on ovulation and subsequent luteal function in cows.
1993
Fricke P.M. | Reynolds L.P. | Redmer D.A.
Cows of mixed beef breeds were randomly assigned to receive one of three treatments: 1) i.v. injection of hCG on d 6 of the estrous cycle (estrus = d 0) and slaughter on d 12 to 14, 2) i.v. injection of saline on d 6 and slaughter on d 12 to 14, or 3) slaughter on d 5 to 7. Corpora lutea (CL) were collected at slaughter and weighed. A portion of each CL was cultured for 6 h with no hormone or various doses of LH (25, 50, or 100 ng/mL of medium). All cows that received an hCG injection on d 6 (Treatment 1) exhibited a luteal structure in addition to the CL present at the time of hCG administration. Thus, the following CL were evaluated: 6-d-old (induced) CL from Treatment 1 (d-6 hCG) and 13-d-old (natural) CL from Treatment 1 (d-13 hCG), 13-d-old CL from Treatment 2 (d 13), and 6-d-old CL from Treatment 3 (d 6). From d 9 to 13, daily plasma progesterone concentrations were greater (P <.01) for cows on Treatment 1 than for cows on Treatment 2. Whereas LH stimulated (P < 0.01) progesterone secretion regardless of treatment, progesterone secretion in vitro was greater (P <.01) for CL from saline-treated cows (Treatments 2 and 3) than for CL from hCG-treated cows (Treatment 1). No effect of hCG was observed for luteal DNA, RNA, or protein concentrations, or for luteal RNA:DNA or protein:DNA ratios. Across all treatments, however, protein concentration was greater (P <.01) for d-13 than for d-6 CL, whereas RNA:DNA ratio was greater ( P <.01) for d-6 than for d-13 CL. These data indicate that the large follicle present on d 6 is capable of ovulating in response to hCG and forming a functional CL.
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