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The Canadian Veterinary Journal = La... Jan 2021Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a pestivirus that infects swine and other species and has genetic and antigenic similarity to classical swine fever virus. The...
Bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV) is a pestivirus that infects swine and other species and has genetic and antigenic similarity to classical swine fever virus. The objective of this study was to mimic the infection of swine by contaminated semen and evaluate the effects on their reproductive tracts and litters. Six gilts were artificially inseminated with semen containing BVDV-2 ncp (LVB 16557/15) and 2 were inseminated with BVDV-free semen. Blood samples from all gilts were collected for polymerase chain reaction and virus neutralization tests. No viremia or neutralizing antibodies were detected, and all the litters were born healthy.
Topics: Animals; Antibodies, Viral; Bovine Virus Diarrhea-Mucosal Disease; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Diarrhea; Diarrhea Viruses, Bovine Viral; Female; Insemination, Artificial; Semen; Swine; Swine Diseases
PubMed: 33390601
DOI: No ID Found -
JAMA Network Open Dec 2022
Topics: Humans; COVID-19 Vaccines; COVID-19; Insemination, Artificial; Infertility; Vaccination
PubMed: 36525277
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.47216 -
PloS One 2023Early pregnancy diagnosis is key to maximise productivity of dairy herds. We previously showed that an increase in the levels of miR-26 could be detected as soon as day...
Early pregnancy diagnosis is key to maximise productivity of dairy herds. We previously showed that an increase in the levels of miR-26 could be detected as soon as day 8 of pregnancy in heifers. The aims of this study were to determine whether 1) plasma miR-26 levels would be distinctly elevated, retrospectively, early after artificial insemination in lactating cows with successful compared to failed pregnancies, 2) the early increase in miRNA levels in cows with successful pregnancy could be accounted for by changes in miRNA expression in white blood cells (WBCs), presumably induced by the effects of embryo-derived interferon tau (IFNt), and 3) plasma miRNA levels may provide a reliable early predictor of pregnancy that could be used at a herd level. Blood samples were taken from a total of 34 dairy cows (lactation number 1 to 4) before (D0) and 9 and 18 days after artificial insemination at oestrus, followed by confirmation of pregnancy status by ultrasound on D32. In addition, WBCs collected from non-pregnant cows (n = 4) were stimulated in vitro with recombinant ovine IFNt (0-100 pg/ml). Levels of miRNAs and ISG15, a known IFNt-induced gene, were quantified by qPCR. Relative to D0, a larger increase in plasma miR-26a (P = 0.04) occurred on D9 in cows later confirmed to be pregnant (n = 12) than in cows with a failed pregnancy (n = 22). Expression of miR-26a in WBCs was not affected (P>0.1) by pregnancy status or IFNt stimulation in vitro, in contrast to ISG15 expression which increased markedly (P<0.0001) both in WBC samples collected on D18 from animals later confirmed to be pregnant, and in WBCs after stimulation with IFNt in vitro. Finally, ROC analyses revealed that miR-26a on D9 or D18 could predict pregnancy outcome with much lower accuracy than WBC ISG15 on D18 (Likelihood ratio, 2.3 vs 15.4). In summary, a modest increase in plasma miR-26a levels occurs during early pregnancy in mature dairy cows which may not accounted for by changes in miRNA levels in WBCs or the effects of IFNt. Moreover, compared to ISG15, changes in miR-26a levels may not provide an accurate test for early diagnosis of pregnancy in cows.
Topics: Pregnancy; Cattle; Animals; Female; Sheep; Pregnancy Outcome; Lactation; Retrospective Studies; Insemination, Artificial; MicroRNAs; Progesterone
PubMed: 37566616
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289342 -
Theriogenology Oct 2022This research aimed to determine the effect of temperament on reproductive parameters including cortisol and progesterone (P4) in Nellore cows. Additionally, two methods...
This research aimed to determine the effect of temperament on reproductive parameters including cortisol and progesterone (P4) in Nellore cows. Additionally, two methods for increasing plasma progesterone (P4) levels in excitable animals to enhance pregnancy rate (P/AI) and reduce pregnancy loss were investigated. In total, 939 cows were subjected to timed artificial insemination (TAI) and divided into three groups: (P4LA; n = 305) 150 mg of injectable long-acting progestogen 7 days after TAI; (GnRH; n = 306), 10 μg of buserelin acetate on day 7 after TAI; control group (CG; n = 328) without hormonal treatment. In 213 cows, randomly chosen from each group, ultrasound evaluations of the preovulatory follicle (Mode B) were performed on the day of insemination and of the corpus luteum (Color Doppler) 7 and 16 days after TAI. Blood samples were obtained from 20% of the 939 animals, randomly chosen from each group, on the day of insemination and after 7 and 16 days to measure cortisol and progesterone, respectively. At the time of insemination, subjective temperament evaluations were performed with the animals being classified as excitable (EXC) or adequate (ADQ). The SAS GLIMMIX procedure was used to compare the pregnancy rate (P/AI) and gestational loss within each temperament for the three experimental groups. Continuous variables were analyzed utilizing SAS PROC MIXED procedure. Cortisol concentration was higher and POF (preovulatory follicle) and CL (corpus luteum) volumes at the time of insemination and 7 days after AI, respectively, were lower in EXC animals than in ADQ. No significant difference was observed between the number of pixels, CL intensity, and plasma concentration of P4, 7 days after TAI. However, 16 days post-insemination, among the animals classified as EXC, higher concentrations of P4 were observed in the GnRH and P4LA groups than in the control. Regarding P4 concentrations, there was a tendency to be lower in animals classified as EXC than in ADQ within the control group (P = 0.06), while rate of blood flow from the CL was lower in EXC animals than in ADQ animals (P = 0.04). Among the ADQ animals, the GnRH and P4LA groups showed a lower CL flow rate than that observed in the control (P = 0.04), 16 days after the TAI. Among EXC animals, a higher pregnancy rate was observed in the GnRH and P4LA groups than in the control group (P = 0.01). In the control group, the pregnancy rate (P/AI) of the ADQ animals was higher than that of the EXC animals (P = 0.05). No statistically significant differences were observed between gestational losses when the treatments or temperaments were compared. In conclusion, the use of GnRH or P4LA, 7 days after insemination, improves pregnancy rates in excitable animals and is a viable alternative to minimize the negative impact of stress and improve reproductive efficiency in beef cattle.
Topics: Abortion, Veterinary; Animals; Buserelin; Cattle; Cattle Diseases; Dinoprost; Estrus Synchronization; Female; Fertility; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Hydrocortisone; Insemination, Artificial; Lactation; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Progesterone; Progestins
PubMed: 36037572
DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.08.003 -
Fertility and Sterility Mar 2016We have come a long way in achieving, and preventing, pregnancy since 1966.
We have come a long way in achieving, and preventing, pregnancy since 1966.
Topics: Contraception; Female; Fertility; History, 20th Century; Humans; Infertility, Female; Insemination, Artificial; Male; Ovulation Induction; Pregnancy
PubMed: 26776908
DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2015.12.025 -
The Journal of Reproduction and... Dec 2022The effect of confirmation of ovulation by rectal palpation and ultrasonography after artificial insemination (AI) on the development of the corpus luteum (CL) and...
No adverse effect of confirmation of ovulation by rectal palpation and ultrasonography after artificial insemination on formation, development, and function of the corpus luteum and conception rate in cows.
The effect of confirmation of ovulation by rectal palpation and ultrasonography after artificial insemination (AI) on the development of the corpus luteum (CL) and conception rate was investigated in cows. A total of 90 clinically healthy Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were examined in this study. After AI, the cows were divided into three groups (30 cows per group). In Group I, ovulation was confirmed by rectal palpation at 24 h after AI. In Group II, ovulation was confirmed using transrectal ultrasonography 24 h after AI. In Group III, ovulation was not confirmed after AI. Day 0 was defined as the day when ovulation was confirmed in Groups I and II, and as the day after AI was performed in group III. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed on days 3, 5, 7, and 14 to measure the CL diameter, tissue area, and CL blood flow area, and the ratio of CL blood flow area to CL tissue area was calculated. On the day of CL measurement, blood samples were collected to determine the plasma concentrations of progesterone (P) and estradiol-17β (E). Pregnancy was diagnosed at 28 and 60 days after AI. A high conception rate of approximately 80% was achieved in Groups I and II, in which confirmation of ovulation was conducted. There were no differences in the diameter, tissue area, or blood flow area of the CL between the three groups. These results indicate that the confirmation of ovulation by rectal palpation and transrectal ultrasonography did not affect the formation and function of the CL or conception rate.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Cattle; Animals; Estrus Synchronization; Digital Rectal Examination; Lactation; Insemination, Artificial; Corpus Luteum; Progesterone; Ultrasonography; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone
PubMed: 36384967
DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2021-122 -
Journal of Dairy Science Jun 2023The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the association between increased physical activity at first artificial insemination (AI) and subsequent...
The objective of this observational study was to evaluate the association between increased physical activity at first artificial insemination (AI) and subsequent pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in lactating Holstein cows following spontaneous estrus or a timed AI (TAI) protocol. We also wanted to identify factors associated with the intensity of activity increase (PA) captured by automated activity monitors (AAM) and fertility. Two experiments were conducted, in which cows either were inseminated based on the alert of the AAM system (AAM cows) or received TAI following a 7-d Ovsynch protocol (TAI cows) if not inseminated within a farm-specific period after calving. Experiment 1 included 2,698 AI services from AAM cows and 1,042 AI services from TAI cows equipped with the Smarttag Neck (Nedap Livestock Management) from a dairy farm in Slovakia (farm 1). In the second experiment, 6,517 AI services from AAM cows and 1,226 AI services from TAI cows fitted with Heatime (Heatime Pro; SCR Engineers Ltd.) from 8 dairy farms in Germany (farms 2-9) were included. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed on a weekly basis by transrectal ultrasound (farms 1, 3, 7, 8) or by transrectal palpation (farms 2, 4-6, 9). Estrous intensity was represented by the peak value of the change in activity. In experiment 1, PA was categorized into low (x-factor 0-20) and high (x-factor 21-100) PA, and in experiment 2 into low (activity change = 35-89) and high (activity change = 90-100) PA. In TAI cows from both experiments, PA was additionally categorized into cows with no AAM alert. Data were analyzed separately for AAM and TAI cows using multinomial logistic regression models for PA in TAI cows and logistic regression models for PA in AAM cows and P/AI in both groups. In experiment 1, P/AI of AAM cows was greater for AI services performed with conventional frozen semen (57.6%) compared with sexed semen (47.2%), whereas type of semen only tended to be associated with P/AI in TAI cows (54.4% conventional frozen semen vs. 48.9% sexed semen). In experiment 2, P/AI was greater for fresh semen (AAM cows: 44.4% vs. TAI cows: 44.2%) compared with conventional frozen semen (AAM cows: 37.6% vs. TAI cows: 34.6%). In both experiments, pregnancy outcomes were associated with PA. In experiment 1, AAM cows with high PA (55.1%) had greater P/AI than cows with low PA (49.8%). Within TAI cows, cows with no alert (38.8%) had reduced P/AI compared with cows with low (54.2%) or high PA (61.8%). In experiment 2, AAM cows with high PA (45.8%) had greater P/AI compared with cows with low PA (36.4%). Timed AI cows with no alert (27.4%) had decreased P/AI compared with cows with low (41.1%) or high (50.8%) PA. The greatest risk factors for high PA were parity (experiment 1) and season of AI (except for TAI cows from experiment 1). We conclude that high PA at the time of AI is associated with greater odds of pregnancy for both AAM and TAI cows. In both experiments, about 2 thirds of AAM cows (experiment 1: 69.9% and experiment 2: 70.7%) reached high PA, whereas only approximately one-third or less of TAI cows (experiment 1: 37.3% and experiment 2: 23.6%) showed high PA. Although we observed similar results using 2 different AAM systems for the most part, risk factors for high PA might differ between farms and insemination type (i.e., AAM vs. TAI).
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Female; Pregnancy; Dinoprost; Estrus; Estrus Synchronization; Fertility; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; Insemination, Artificial; Lactation; Progesterone
PubMed: 37164863
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22057 -
Journal of Dairy Science May 2022The objective of this study was to characterize the association between body condition score (BCS) and BCS change (ΔBCS), determined by an automated camera system at...
The objective of this study was to characterize the association between body condition score (BCS) and BCS change (ΔBCS), determined by an automated camera system at multiple time points, and the subsequent pregnancy per first artificial insemination (P/AI1) of Holstein cows. A retrospective observational study was completed using data collected from 11,393 lactations in 7,928 Holstein cows calving between April 2019 and March 2021 in a commercial dairy operation located in Colorado. Cows were classified as primiparous or multiparous. Scores generated by BCS cameras at dry-off, calving, 21 days in milk (DIM), 56 DIM, and first artificial insemination were selected for the analyses and subsequently categorized as low (≤lower quartile), moderate (interquartile range), and high (≥upper quartile). Changes in BCS were calculated by periods of interest as change from dry-off to calving (multiparous cows); change from calving to 21 DIM; change from calving to 56 DIM; and change from calving to first artificial insemination and assigned into categories as large loss of BCS (top 25% of cows losing BCS); moderate loss (bottom 75% of cows losing BCS); no change (ΔBCS = 0); or gain of BCS (ΔBCS > 0). Data were examined in primiparous and multiparous cows separately using logistic regression and time-to-event analyses. Initial univariable models were followed by multivariable models that considered calving season, occurrence of disease, and milk yield up to 60 DIM as covariables. The logistic regression analyses indicated that in both parity groups the associations between BCS category and P/AI1 were more evident at 21 DIM, 56 DIM, and first artificial insemination, with lower odds of P/AI1 in cows in the low BCS category. Likewise, cows with large loss in BCS between calving and 21 DIM, calving and 56 DIM, and calving and first artificial insemination had lower odds of P/AI1 compared with other categories of ΔBCS within the same period of interest. Similarly, survival analyses evidenced that cows in the low BCS category required more time to get pregnant. In agreement, differences in the dynamics of the average daily BCS during the first 90 DIM were evident when cows were grouped by first AI outcome (pregnant vs. nonpregnant) and by their time to pregnancy category (<90 DIM; 91-150 DIM; or >150 DIM), with cows with reduced fertility showing lower BCS up to 90 DIM. Overall, low BCS and more pronounced reductions in BCS occurring closer to first artificial insemination resulted in lower odds of pregnancy per artificial insemination.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Female; Fertility; Insemination, Artificial; Lactation; Milk; Parity; Pregnancy
PubMed: 35181142
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21501 -
The Veterinary Clinics of North... Mar 2016The first part of this article defines the attributes of the ideal pregnancy test and describes the direct and indirect methods for pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cows... (Review)
Review
The first part of this article defines the attributes of the ideal pregnancy test and describes the direct and indirect methods for pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cows that are currently available that have the potential to replace transrectal palpation. Second, this new technology must be practically integrated into a systematic on-farm reproductive management strategy and empirically demonstrated to exceed the status quo of the industry in reproductive performance. Finally a future direction for research and technology in the area of early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cows is presented, and the overall conclusions of the ideas presented herein are drawn.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Dairying; Female; Insemination, Artificial; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Tests; Pregnancy, Animal; Reproduction; Ultrasonography, Prenatal; Uterus
PubMed: 26922118
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2015.09.006 -
Journal of Dairy Science Apr 2022This study used a stochastic simulation model to estimate the potential economic benefit of using timed artificial insemination (TAI) in combination with conventional...
This study used a stochastic simulation model to estimate the potential economic benefit of using timed artificial insemination (TAI) in combination with conventional unsorted (TCONV) and sexed (TSEX) semen in heifers only (TCONV-H, TSEX-H) and in both heifers and lactating cows (TCONV-HC, TSEX-HC) in a high-producing, pasture-based production system. The scenarios were compared with a conventional reproductive policy (CONV) in which heifers and cows were inseminated with conventional unsorted semen after estrus detection. Sensitivity analysis was also used to estimate the effect of hormone costs from TAI use on the profitability of each program relative to CONV. The mean annual (± standard deviation) profit advantage (ΔPROF) over CONV for TCONV-H, TCONV-HC, TSEX-H, and TSEX-HC scenarios were €3.90/cow ± 4.65, €34.11/cow ± 25.69, €13.96/cow ± 6.83, and €41.52/cow ± 42.86, respectively. Combined application of both technologies was shown to return a greater annual ΔPROF on average compared with that achievable from TAI alone. However, the risk of not returning a positive annual ΔPROF varied across the scenarios with higher risk in TCONV-H and TSEX-HC. Specifically, TCONV-H and TSEX-HC had a 24 and 18% chance, respectively, of not returning a positive annual ΔPROF. Sensitivity analysis showed that when hormone costs increased by €10/cow TCONV-H and TSEX-HC had a 38 and 23% chance, respectively, of not returning a positive annual ΔPROF. The range in ΔPROF for TCONV policies was most sensitive to the TAI pregnancy rate and TSEX policies were most sensitive to the relative fertility achieved with sexed compared with unsorted semen. This study has shown TAI and sexed semen are complementary technologies that can increase genetic gain and profitability in a pasture-based, dairy production system.
Topics: Animals; Cattle; Dairying; Female; Insemination, Artificial; Lactation; Pregnancy; Semen; Sex Preselection
PubMed: 35181145
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21070