Reproduction Abstracts

In dairy cows, post-partum uterine inflammation caused by Gram negative bacteria (e.g. E. coli) suppresses follicular function and reduces fertility. LPS is an endotoxin that is present on outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria. Furthermore, LPS is detected in follicular fluid (0.04–0.88 μg/ml) of cows with endometritis. This study tested the hypothesis that LPS would decrease the formation of luteal endothelial cell (EC) network and progesterone ...

Dairy cow fertility has declined over the past 50 years coinciding with increased milk production. Uterine health is an important factor with endometritis prevalent in high-yielding dairy cows. This study assessed the association between uterine disease on reproductive performance in 78 commercial UK dairy herds. Data from 59 118 lactations (n=29 157 cows) was collected from 2000to 2009 and included presence of uterine disease, calving date, and insemination informati...

Previous studies have assessed the effects of melatonin on cultured granulosa cells under 5% CO2 in air, and focused on its antioxidant properties. Effects of melatonin under more physiological oxygen tensions are not known. Here we cultured granulosa cells from antral follicles (4–6 mm diameter) in fibronectin-coated 12-well plates (at 600 000 cell/ml) in TCM199, with melatonin added at one of four concentrations (0, 20, 200, 2000 pg/ml) under either i) low ox...