Secretion of PGF2 alpha and oxytocin during hyperthermia in cyclic and pregnant heifers

The effects of acute heat stress (HS) and oxytocin (OT) injection on plasma concentrations of PGF2 alpha and OT were examined in cyclic (C; n = 15) and pregnant (P; n = 11) dairy heifers. On Day 17 of synchronized estrous cycles, animals were randomly assigned to either thermoneutral (TN; 20 degrees C, 20% RH) or HS (42 degrees C, 60% RH) chambers. The jugular vein of each heifer was cannulated and blood samples collected hourly for 4 h, then every 15 min for an additional 3 h. Oxytocin (100 IU) was injected (IV) 5 h after the start of blood collection. Plasma samples were assayed subsequently for concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGF2 alpha (PGFM) and OT. During the 7-h experiment, body temperature of HS heifers reached 41.2 degrees C as compared to 38.5 degrees C in control heifers. Plasma concentrations of PGFM increased (P < 0.05) and peaked 30 min after OT injection in C (890 pg/ml) and P (540 pg/ml) heifers. In C heifers, heat stress failed to alter PGFM concentrations either before or after OT injection. In the P group, PGFM concentrations following OT injection tended to be higher in HS heifers than in TN heifers (peak values of 690 vs. 410 pg/ml). Pregnant TN and HS heifers were further classified as responders or non-responders to OT challenge according to a cutoff value for PGFM of 193 pg/ml (overall mean of C heifers minus 1 SD). Five of six HS and one of five TN pregnant heifers were classified as responders (P < 0.06). Oxytocin concentrations in plasma prior to injection of exogenous OT were not affected by HS or pregnancy status. It is concluded that in C heifers, acute HS in vivo does not cause any further rise in PGF2 alpha secretion. However, in P heifers, HS appears to antagonize suppressive effects of the embryo on uterine secretion of PGF2 alpha, as indicated by the larger proportion of P heifers responding to OT challenge.