The impact of the cavitary corpus luteum on the blood progesterone concentration and pregnancy rate of embryo recipient heifers

Mitigating abortion risk of synthetic musk-contained body wash in pregnant women: Risk assessment and mechanism analysis

Synthetic musks (SMs), the widely used odor component in personal care products have attracted attention due to their environmental impacts, especially the abortion risks. Given that women comprise a significant consumer demographic for personal care products, it is imperative to promptly initiate research on avoidance strategies for pregnant women concerning their exposure to synthetic chemicals (SMs). This study tried to establish novel theoretical approaches to eliminate the abortion risks of SM-contained body wash by designing the SM-contained proportioning scheme and analyzing the abortion risk mechanisms. The binding energy of SMs to estrogen-progesterone protein complex was used as an indicator of the abortion risk. A total of 324 SM-contained body wash proportioning schemes were designed using full factorial design and No. 218 was found as the most effective formula for body wash proportioning with the binding energy value of 68.6 kJ/mol. Results showed the abortion risk could be effectively alleviated (reduced 0.6%-163.4%) by regulating the proportioning scheme of SM-contained body wash. In addition, the mechanism analysis of SM-contained proportioning scheme proportioning scheme found that xanthan gum and disodium EDTA played essential roles in reducing the abortion risk in pregnant women after exposure. The selection of proper body wash components for reducing the abortion risk of SMs on pregnant women was first proposed. It sheds lights on the potential risks of people's daily life and proposes risk-eliminating strategies.

Assessment of Luteal Function Using Rectal Palpation, B-Mode Ultrasonography, and Progesterone Determination to Improve Recipient Selection in Embryo Transfer Programs

Proper selection of recipients determines the success of embryo transfer (ET) programs. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to assess the accuracy of rectal palpation (RP) in selecting recipients according to the size and firmness of their corpus luteum (CL) compared to ultrasonography (US) and progesterone determination (P4); to check if US or P4 provide additional information to RP with regard to selecting animals with higher odds of maintaining the pregnancy; and to verify the reliability of the presence of a cavity and the volume of the CL within the ovary (%CLOV) as predictors of the ET outcome. In Experiment 1, measurements for the largest and minor diameter (LADCL and MIDCL), CL area, and P4 at ET day were collected, as well as the RP score, in 94 heifers. In Experiment 2, measurements for the LADCL, MIDCL, CL volume, %CLOV, and presence of a cavity were collected, as well as data about the procedure and metabolic markers, in 108 heifers. No differences were found in Experiment 1, whereas in Experiment 2, just a tendency was observed for the variable of veterinarian. Consequently, these results suggest that RP and US are useful methods to select recipients with, that US and P4 do not offer additional data to use to select animals with higher odds of maintaining pregnancy, and that neither %CLOV nor cavitary CL were good indicators for pregnancy rates.

[Sonographic studies on the significance of follicle size and corpus luteum morphology in dairy cows after insemination]

OBJECTIVE

In dairy cattle, numerous factors determine the success of an insemination. The aim of the present study was to generate findings concerning the association between the preovulatory follicles, the corpora lutea with or without cavities and pregnancy in dairy cows under field conditions.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Data was obtained from 176 dairy cows scheduled for artificial insemination. The cows were gynecologically examined using sonography at the time of insemination, 24 hours later, on day 9, on day 34 and after day 42 after insemination. Additionally, blood samples were collected from the coccygeal vein at the time of insemination and on day 9 in order to determine blood progesterone level.

RESULTS

Depending on the result of the pregnancy test, no difference was detected between the dimensions of the follicles, corpora lutea as well as their cavities and progesterone levels 9 days after insemination in the dairy cows with spontaneous ovulations. In contrast to the corpus luteum without cavity, the surface area of the corpus luteum with cavity remained constant during the study period, while at the same time the cavity decreased in size to a significant degree. In addition, breed differences in corpus luteum sizes were detected on day 34.

CONCLUSION

No cause was detected for the formation of cavities in corpora lutea and there was no link to the follicle from which the corpus luteum developed.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Both the changes in corpus luteum sizes over time and their breed-related differences could have an impact on insemination outcome.

Reproductive and lactational responses of multiparous dairy cattle to short-term postpartum chromium supplementation during the summer months

The objective of this work was to evaluate the potential benefits of short-duration, high-dose chromium (Cr) supplementation in early postpartum dairy cows during the summer months. Multiparous, early-lactation cows (20.95 ± 0.21 d in milk) were assigned to 1 of 2 treatment groups: (1) control diet (Con; n = 10) or (2) control diet + Cr propionate (CrPro; 12 mg/head per day Cr; n = 12). Measurements of ovarian structures, respiration rates (RR), rectal temperatures (RT), and blood glucose concentrations were recorded every 3 d. Blood was also collected for analysis of plasma progesterone concentrations. Every 6 d, in conjunction with ultrasonography, endometrial cytology samples were collected via cytobrush from each cow to determine the incidences of subclinical endometritis, as determined by polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL)%. No differences were detected in RR, RT, blood glucose, feed intake, milk yield, or change in body weight. The supplementation did, however, improve some reproductive parameters. At cytology sample 6, the PMNL% increased in Con cows, and was greater than the PMNL% in the CrPro group. Chromium consumption did not affect the number or size of most follicles, with the exception being the 6 to 9 mm category where the CrPro group had a greater average diameter and tended to have greater numbers of follicles in this category. While corpus luteum numbers and size did not differ between treatments, the ratio of progesterone to average corpus luteum volume was greater in the CrPro group compared with the Con group. The results from this study indicate that, whereas the short-term, high-dose supplementation strategy did not affect feed intake or milk yield, this Cr supplementation strategy could benefit reproductive performance during periods of stress.

Advances in the ultrasound diagnosis in equine reproductive medicine: New approaches

Ultrasound technology has led to new lines of research in equine reproduction, and it has helped to greatly improve clinical diagnosis and reproductive outcomes in equine practice. This review aims to discuss the potential clinical uses and new approaches of ultrasonography in equine reproduction. Doppler modalities are usually used to evaluate the vascularization of the follicles, corpus luteum (CL), and the uterus in the mare for diagnostic purposes. Inclusion of Doppler ultrasound in artificial insemination and embryo transfer programs could improve the reproductive outcome of these techniques. Better selection of recipients based on CL functionality, early pregnancy diagnosis 7-8 days postovulation of the donor before flushing or diagnosis of mares with endometritis with pathological increases of blood flow are examples of clinical applications in the mare. In the stallion, colour Doppler ultrasound has improved the diagnostic potential of B-mode ultrasound, improving the differential diagnosis of pathologies such as testicular torsion (decrease or absence of blood flow in the cord) and orchitis (increased blood flow in the cord). The incorporation of pulsed Doppler ultrasound into the reproductive evaluation of the stallion has enabled early identification of stallions with testicular dysfunction, thus allowing administration of timely treatment and subsequent improvements of the fertility prognosis for these animals. In addition, this technique has been used in the monitoring of patients undergoing medical and surgical treatments, thus verifying their efficacy. Recently, computer-assisted pixel analysis using specific software has been performed in research work in order to semi-quantitatively evaluate the vascularization (colour and power Doppler) and echotexture of different organs. These softwares are now being developed for clinical purposes, as is the case with Ecotext, a computer program developed for the evaluation of testicular echotexture, providing information on testicular functionality.