Pregnancy and Bovine Somatotropin in Nonlactating Dairy Cows: II. Endometrial Gene Expression Related to Maintenance of Pregnancy

The objective was to evaluate the effects of pregnancy and bovine somatotropin (bST) on endometrial gene and protein expression related to maintenance of pregnancy in nonlactating dairy cows at d 17. In endometrial tissues, treatment with bST increased the steady state concentration of oxytocin receptor (OTR) mRNA; bSTtreated cyclic (bST-C) cows had greater OTR mRNA than bST-treated pregnant (bST-P) cows. Estradiol receptor α (ERα) mRNA was reduced in bST-P cows compared with control P and C (no bST) cows. Western blotting revealed that pregnancy decreased the abundance of ERα protein, and bST stimulated an increase in ERα protein in C and P cows. Treatment with bST increased steady state concentrations of progesterone receptor (PR) mRNA. No differences were detected in steady state mRNA concentrations of prostaglandin H synthase-2 (PGHS-2), prostaglandin E synthase, and prostaglandin F synthase due to pregnancy or bST treatment. However, PGHS-2 protein was increased in response to pregnancy and bST treatment. Immunostaining indicated that P decreased ERα protein in luminal epithelium and increased PR protein in epithelial cells of the uterine glands. The PR protein response in the glands was less in bST-P cows than in P cows. In the stromal layer of the endometrium, bST decreased PR protein abundance in C and P cows. The PGHS-2 protein was localized exclusively in the luminal epithelium cells of endometrium and was increased in P cows. In conclusion, distinctly different mRNA and protein responses were detected between C and P cows related to prostaglandin biosynthesis, and bST-induced changes may potentially impact mechanisms associated with maintenance of pregnancy in nonlactating cows

Sincronização da onda folicular com buserelina prévia à indução da luteólise com cloprostenol em bovinos

Este experimento foi realizado para verificar o efeito da aplicação de diferentes doses de um análogo de GnRH (buserelina) sobre a emergência de nova onda de crescimento folicular e o número de folículos recrutados dessa onda, a formação de corpo lúteo acessório, o diâmetro do folículo dominante e do corpo lúteo espontâneo no dia da aplicação do luteolítico e subseqüente taxa de sincronização e o intervalo da aplicação de PGF2α à manifestação do estro. Vinte fêmeas bovinas em diestro, mestiças Holandês x Zebu e Simental x Zebu foram, distribuídas em quatro tratamentos contendo cinco animais cada. No tratamento 1, os animais receberam 4 mg IM de buserelina no dia z 0 (dia em que se iniciou o tratamento) e 150 mg de D(+) cloprostenol no dia 6. Nos tratamentos 2, 3 e 4, receberam, respectivamente, 6, 8 e 10 mg de buserelina, pela mesma via de aplicação, e 150mg de D(+) cloprostenol no dia 6. A atividade ovariana foi monitorada diariamente, com auxílio do aparelho de ultra-sonografia, do dia 0 ao estro, ou até o dia 11 pós-tratamento, naqueles animais que não responderam à prostaglandina. A aplicação de 8 ou 10 mg de buserelina em fase indeterminada do diestro, nas fêmeas bovinas mestiças, promoveu emergência de nova onda de crescimento folicular mais rápida que aplicações de 4 ou 6 mg do mesmo hormônio; enquanto os outros parâmetros avaliados não diferiram entre os animais dos tratamentos.This experiment was carried out to verify the effect of the administration of different doses of GnRH (buserelin) analogue on the emergence of a new follicular growth wave and the number of recruited follicles from this wave, accessory corpus luteum formation, the dominant follicle diameter and the spontaneous corpus luteum on the luteolitic administration day and subsequent synchronization rate and the interval between the PGF2α application and the estrus manifestation. Twenty crossbreed female cattle in diestrus, crossbred Holstein x Zebu and Simental x Zebu were allotted to four treatment groups, each containing five animals. In the treatment 1 the animals received 4 mg IM. of buserelin at day 0 (day in which the treatment began) and 150 mg of D (+) Cloprostenol at day 6. In treatments 2, 3 and 4, the animals received 6, 8 and 10 mg of buserelin, respectively, by the same application way, and 150 mg of D (+) Cloprostenol at day 6. The ovarian activity was daily monitored, with the help of an ultra-sound machine, from day 0 to estrus or until day 11 on those animals, which did not answer to prostaglandin. The application of 8 or 10 mg of buserelin at an unknown phase of diestrus, in female crossbred cattle, promoted an emergence of a new follicular growth wave faster than the applications of 4 or 6 mg of the same hormones, while the other evaluated parameters did not differ among treatments