Hepatic steroid inactivating enzymes, hepatic portal blood flow and corpus luteum blood perfusion in cattle.

Production from the corpus luteum (CL) and/or hepatic steroid inactivation impacts peripheral concentrations of P4, which can alter reproductive performance. Our primary objective was to examine hepatic steroid inactivating enzymes, portal blood flow, and luteal blood perfusion at 10 days post-insemination in pregnant versus non-pregnant beef and dairy cows. Twenty early lactation Holstein cows and 20 lactating commercial beef cows were utilized for this study. At day 10 post-insemination, hepatic portal blood flow and CL blood perfusion were measured via Doppler ultrasonography. Liver biopsies were collected and frozen for later determination of cytochrome P450 1A (CYP1A), 2C (CYP2C), 3A (CYP3A), uridine diphosphate-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) and aldo-keto reductase 1C (AKR1C) activities. Pregnancy was determined at day 30 post-insemination and treatment groups were retrospectively assigned as pregnant or non-pregnant. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS. Steroid metabolizing enzyme activity was not different (p > .10) between pregnant versus non-pregnant beef or dairy cows. Hepatic portal blood flow tended (p < .10) to be increased in pregnant versus non-pregnant dairy cows. Luteal blood perfusion was increased (p < .05) in pregnant versus non-pregnant dairy cows. Pregnant dairy cows appear to have an increased rate of hepatic clearance of P4 in combination with increased synthesis from the CL. This could account for the lack of difference in peripheral P4 concentrations between pregnant and non-pregnant dairy cows. This study highlights the relevance of further investigation into steroid secretion and inactivation and their impact on the maintenance of pregnancy in cattle.

Effects of Supplementing Holstein Heifers with Dietary Melatonin during Late Gestation on Growth and Cardiovascular Measurements of their Offspring.

The objective was to examine the effects of supplementing dams with dietary melatonin during late gestation on offspring growth and cardiovascular measurements. On day 190 of gestation, heifers (n = 20) were blocked by body weight and randomly assigned to one of two dietary treatments consisting of 20 mg of dietary melatonin per day [melatonin (MEL)] or no melatonin supplementation [control (CON)]. Dietary treatments were terminated on day 262 of gestation. At birth, calves were separated from their dams with no further treatments. Calf (n = 18) blood pressure, cortisol, nitrites and total antioxidant capacity were collected on weeks 0, 1, 2, 3 and 4 of age. Calf hepatic portal blood flow and concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1 were determined on weeks 0 and 4 of age. Calf body weight, abdominal girth, hip height and wither height increased (p < 0.05) with age. An age by treatment interaction (p < 0.01) was observed for calf body weight, which was increased at weeks 8 and 9 of age in calves born to MEL heifers compared to calves born to CON heifers. Pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, absolute hepatic portal blood flow and blood flow relative to calf body weight were not different (p > 0.05) between treatments. A main effect of calf age (p < 0.05) was observed for concentrations of insulin-like growth factor 1, which was decreased at week 4 compared to week 0. An age by treatment interaction (p < 0.05) was observed for cortisol, which was decreased at week 2 in calves from MEL-treated dams compared to calves from CON-treated dams. Early post-natal growth was altered in offspring born to dams supplemented with dietary melatonin. This could lead to further foetal programming implications in conjunction with post-natal development.

Dietary melatonin alters uterine artery hemodynamics in pregnant Holstein heifers.

The objective was to examine uterine artery hemodynamics and maternal serum profiles in pregnant heifers supplemented with dietary melatonin (MEL) or no supplementation (CON). In addition, melatonin receptor-mediated responses in steroid metabolism were examined using a bovine endometrial epithelial culture system. Twenty singleton pregnant Holstein heifers were supplemented with 20 mg of melatonin (n = 10) or no melatonin supplementation (control; n = 10) from days 190 to 262 of gestation. Maternal measurements were recorded on days 180 (baseline), 210, 240, and 262 of gestation. Total uterine blood flow was increased by 25% in the MEL-treated heifers compared with the CON. Concentrations of progesterone were decreased in MEL vs CON heifers. Total serum antioxidant capacity was increased by 43% in MEL-treated heifers when compared with CON. Activity of cytochrome P450 1A, 2C, and superoxide dismutase was increased in bovine endometrial epithelial cells treated with melatonin, whereas the melatonin receptor antagonist, luzindole, negated the increase in cytochrome P450 2C activity. Moreover, estradiol or progesterone treatment altered bovine uterine melatonin receptor expression, which could potentiate the melatonin-mediated responses during late gestation. The observed increase in total uterine blood flow during melatonin supplementation could be related to its antioxidant properties. Compromised pregnancies are typically accompanied by increased oxidative stress; therefore, melatonin could serve as a therapeutic supplementation strategy. This could lead to further fetal programming implications in conjunction with offspring growth and development postnatally.