Frequency histogram for INSL3 concentration in amniotic fluid (AM) from all GD30 fetuses, irrespective of fetal sex.

<p>LOD, limit of assay detection.</p

Circulating INSL3 (A,B,D) or progesterone (C,E) in conceptive (D,E) (n = 11) and non-conceptive (A,C) (n = 12) cycles of gilts subjected to hormonal synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) or not.

<p>Panel D also includes INSL3 values from later in pregnancy (n = 4–5). Panel B indicates maternal plasma values for pregnant gilts (n = 12) on day GD15 (intact) and following ovariohysterectomy that day with blood sampling 11–13 days later (castrated).</p

Diagram to indicate scoring (2M, 1M, 0M, 2F, 1F, 0F) of fetal position for fetuses within (left column) or at the fundal end (right column) of a uterine horn.

<p>Fetuses at the cervical end of a uterine horn, and thus in contact with the terminal fetus from the other horn, were scored using the left column.</p

Experimental design of the present heat stress model.

<p>Non-pregnant German Holstein cows in established 2^nd lactation were randomly allocated to two groups: a PF control (n = 4) with a proportional feed restriction like it was measured in the HS group before, and an experimental HS group (n = 4). During the experimental period of 96h in a climate/respiration chamber at 28°C or 15°C the cows were synchronized with PGF_2α (Prostaglandin F2α) and subsequent GnRH injections prior to slaughter and sampling. Concentrations of O₂, CO₂ and CH₄ in the chamber were measured during the last 24hrs before slaughter.</p

Size of dominant follicles as determined by ultrasonography at the times of treatment with PGF_2α and GnRH, and intra-follicular steroid contents.

<p>Size of dominant follicles as determined by ultrasonography at the times of treatment with PGF_2α and GnRH, and intra-follicular steroid contents.</p

Affected “Diseases and Functions” in granulosa cells under acute pre-ovulatory heat stress conditions.

<p>Only significantly affected functions with p < 0.05 (indicated threshold line) according to bioinformatics IPA analysis were shown.</p

Hierarchical cluster analysis of heat affected genes.

<p>Based on the abundance of 88 differentially expressed granulosa cell transcripts (│FC│ >2 and unpaired One-Way ANOVA P<0.05) different samples were clustered using the respective tool of the Transcriptome Analysis Console software.</p

Animal data of heat-stressed (HS) and pair-fed (PF) cows determined in the respiration chamber.

<p>Animal data of heat-stressed (HS) and pair-fed (PF) cows determined in the respiration chamber.</p

Top 20 regulated genes according to microarray analysis.

<p>Mean hybridization signals and fold change (FC) differences are shown.</p

qPCR re-evaluation of selected, differentially expressed transcripts according to microarray analysis.

<p>qPCR re-evaluation of selected, differentially expressed transcripts according to microarray analysis.</p