J Vet Sci.  2012 Mar;13(1):67-71. 10.4142/jvs.2012.13.1.67.

Effect of oxytocin infusion on luteal blood flow and progesterone secretion in dairy cattle

• Brozos CN
• Pancarci M
• Valencia J
• Beindorff
• Tsousis G
• Kiossis E
• Bollwein H

• KMID: 1365005
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4142/jvs.2012.13.1.67

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of oxytocin infusion on corpus luteum (CL) function during early to mid-diestrus by measuring luteal size (LS) and luteal blood flow (LBF) along with plasma levels of progesterone (P4) and prostaglandin metabolites (13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2alpha, PGFM). On day (D) 7 of the estrus cycle (D1 = ovulation), seven cows received 100 IU of oxytocin (OXY) or placebo (PL) following a Latin square design. LS and LBF increased in both groups over time and no differences were observed between the groups. PGFM did not differ either within the groups over time or between the groups at any time point. P4 of the OXY group was higher compared to that of the the PL group 360 min after the infusion (p = 0.01) and tended to be higher at the time points 450 min, 48 h, and 72 h (all p = 0.08). Results from this study support the hypothesis that OXY is not directly involved in the mechanism(s) governing blood flow of the CL and has no remarkable effects either on luteal size or P4 and PGFM plasma levels. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the role of OXY in CL blood flow during early and late luteal phases.

Keyword

blood flow; corpus luteum; Doppler; oxytocin

MeSH Terms

Animals
Cattle/*physiology
Corpus Luteum/blood supply/*drug effects/secretion/ultrasonography
Dinoprost/analogs & derivatives/blood
Estrous Cycle/*drug effects/physiology
Female
Immunoenzyme Techniques/veterinary
Organ Size/physiology
Oxytocin/*pharmacology
Progesterone/blood/*secretion
Random Allocation
Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color/veterinary

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Luteal size (cm2) 72 h after oxytocin (OXY, p = 0.02) or placebo (PL, p = 0.001) infusion in Holstein-Friesian cows. Data represent mean ± SE.

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  Fig. 2 Luteal blood flow (cm2) 72 h after OXY or PL infusion in Holstein-Friesian cows. Data represent mean ± SE.

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  Fig. 3 Levels of plasma prostaglandin metabolites (PGFM, pg/mL) 72 h after OXY or PL infusion in Holstein-Friesian cows. Data represent mean ± SE.

• 

  Fig. 4 Levels of plasma progesterone (P4 in ng/mL) 72 h after OXY (p = 0.07) or PL (p = 0.14) infusion in Holstein-Friesian cows. Data represent mean ± SE. *p = 0.01, †p = 0.08.

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