Concentrações hormonais e desenvolvimento folicular de vacas leiteiras em hipertermia sazonal e aguda / Hormone concentration and follicular development in dairy cows under seasonal and acute hyperthermia

Avaliaram-se as concentrações hormonais e os parâmetros de desenvolvimento folicular de vacas leiteiras expostas ao calor sazonal e agudo. Dividiram-se os animais em quatro grupos: verão (n=5), outono (n=5), inverno com hipertermia aguda (grupo câmara climática, (CC), n=5) e inverno (n=9). Os animais foram abatidos no sétimo dia após a ovulação, e os parâmetros de desenvolvimento folicular avaliados. O líquido folicular do maior folículo foi aspirado e armazenado para posterior análise de hormônios esteróides e inibina. O número de células da granulosa vivas no verão e no outono foi 40 e 45 por cento respectivamente, menor que no inverno (P<0,05). A concentração de estradiol (E2) no inverno foi 62 por cento maior que no outono (P<0,05) e 34 por cento superior ao grupo verão (P<0,06). Houve um aumento na quantidade de androstenediona no verão em relação aos grupos inverno (P<0,08) e outono (P<0,05). A concentração de inibina foi maior no inverno do que no verão e CC (P<0,05). A exposição ao calor sazonal e agudo modificou os parâmetros de desenvolvimento do folículo e as concentrações hormonais no líquido folicular, podendo explicar em parte a queda nas taxas de concepção no verão.

The present study evaluated the seasonal and acute heat stress on follicular development and steroid and inhibin concentrations in follicular fluid, in bovine dominant follicle. Cows were distributed into four treatments: summer (n=5), autumn (n=5), animals heat stressed during the winter (n=5) and winter (n=9). On day 7 of the estrous cycle, animals were slaughtered and parameters related to follicle development were evaluated. The follicular fluid (FF) was aspirated and stored for further hormonal analysis. During the summer, the number of viable granulosa cells was 40 percent lower than during the winter, and there was a 45 percent decrease in this parameter during the autumn (P<0.05). In the winter, estradiol concentration was 62 percent higher than during the autumn (P<0.05) and 42 percent higher than during the summer (P<0.06). There was an increase in androstenedione concentration in summer group, when compared to winter (P<0.08) and autumn (P<0.05) groups. Inhibin concentration was higher in winter groups than summer and winter heat stressed groups (P<0.05). Seasonal and acute heat stress altered developmental parameters in dominant follicle and hormonal concentration in follicular fluid, those effects can partially explain the decrease in conception rates during summer.

Seasonal and acute heat stress effects on steroid production by dominant follicles in cows.

The present study concerned the seasonal and acute effects of heat stress on steroid concentrations in follicular fluid and on steroid production by granulosa and theca interna cells, in bovine dominant follicles. Three groups of cows were studied: summer (n = 5), autumn (n = 5) and winter (n = 9) cows. During the winter season, another group of cows was acutely heat-stressed from days 3 through 5 of the estrous cycle (n = 5). On day 7 of the estrous cycle, follicular fluid from first-wave dominant follicles was aspirated, and dispersed granulosa and theca cells from each seasonal group were incubated for 18 h at normothermic (37.5 degrees C) or high (40.5 degrees C) temperatures. Cells were incubated in media only or in media containing testosterone (300 ng ml-1, for granulosa cells) or forskolin (4 micrograms ml-1, for theca cells). In follicular fluid the 17 beta-estradiol concentration was high (P < 0.05) in winter and low in autumn, and summer, the androstenedione concentration was high in summer (P < 0.05), low in autumn, and intermediate in winter. During the winter season, acute in vivo heat stress increased follicular fluid androstenedione and decreased estradiol to levels comparable with those prevailing in summer. Basal and forskolin-stimulated androstenedione production by theca cells was higher (P < 0.05) in the winter group than in the summer and autumn groups, and also higher than in the cows that were heat-stressed during winter, which suggests that theca cell function is susceptible to chronic (summer), short-term (winter) and delayed (autumn) heat stresses. In vitro incubation at high temperature (40.5 degrees C) reduced the high, forskolin-stimulated androstenedione production in winter (P < 0.05). Estradiol production by granulosa cells was high in winter and autumn, and low in summer (P < 0.05). Acute heat stress in winter did not alter estradiol production relative to winter controls, whereas a high incubation temperature (40.5 degrees C) reduced (P < 0.05) estradiol production only in the autumn, when the highest production rate was recorded. The results indicate a differential effect of heat stress on the functions of granulosa and theca cells. Both concurrent and delayed effects of heat stress on the steroidogenic capacity of ovarian follicles in cattle are presented.

Effect of heat stress on follicular development during the estrous cycle in lactating dairy cattle.

In this study we examined, in two experiments, patterns of follicular development and dominance under conditions of heat stress. Estrous cycles were programmed to include two follicular waves (wave 1 and 2). On Day 1 of the estrous cycle (Day 0 = estrus), cows were assigned randomly to cooled (C; n = 6) or heat-stressed (H; n = 6) groups. In experiment 1, on Day 12 prostaglandin (PG) F2 alpha was injected and a controlled intravaginal drug release device (1.9 g progesterone) was inserted (this was removed on Day 17). In experiment 2, PGF 2 alpha was injected on Day 14. Ovarian structures were examined daily by ultrasonography, and blood samples were collected at each scanning. Cycle lengths were 20 and 17 days in experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Mean maximal body temperatures were higher (p < 0.01) in H (40.3 degrees C) than in C (38.8 degrees C) cows. In experiment 1, the rate of increase in number of large follicles (> or = 10 mm) was greater in H than in C cows (p < 0.01), resulting in 53% more large follicles in H cows during wave 1; this was associated with a lower (p < 0.05) number of medium-sized (6-9 mm) follicles between Days 7 and 10 of the cycle. Heat stress hastened (p < 0.02) the decrease in size of the first-wave dominant follicle and hastened (p < 0.01) the emergence of the second dominant (preovulatory) follicle by 2 days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

A successful prehospital quality assurance program in compliance with New York State regulations.

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