Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-05T03:31:50.828Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Modification of endometrial fatty acid concentrations by the pre-implantation conceptus in pasture-fed dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2011

Susanne Meier*
Affiliation:
DairyNZ Limited, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
Caroline G Walker
Affiliation:
DairyNZ Limited, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Grafton 1142, New Zealand
Murray D Mitchell
Affiliation:
Liggins Institute, The University of Auckland, Grafton 1142, New Zealand National Research Centre for Growth and Development, The University of Auckland, Grafton 1142, New Zealand University of Queensland, Centre for Clinical Research, Brisbane 4072, Australia
Mathew D Littlejohn
Affiliation:
DairyNZ Limited, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
John R Roche
Affiliation:
DairyNZ Limited, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
*
*For correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract

The current study determined whether the pre-implantation conceptus modified endometrial fatty acid concentrations. Oestrus was synchronized in 14 mature lactating cows and embryos were transferred on day 7. Cows were slaughtered 10 d later, with each uterine horn flushed, the pre-implantation conceptus located, and inter-caruncular endometrial tissue collected from the gravid horn (containing the pre-implantation conceptus) and non-gravid horn. Endometrial fatty acid concentrations in the gravid and non-gravid horn were compared using linear models in restricted maxiumum likelihood. Investigations of the correlations among selected fatty acids and trophoblast weight or uterine fluid interferon-tau (IFN-τ) concentrations were also undertaken. The presence of the pre-implantation conceptus had relatively minor effects on endometrial fatty acid concentrations, but the ω6:ω3 ratio was greater and concentrations of stearic and oleic acid were slightly increased in the gravid horn. In the gravid horn, a negative linear relationship between the concentration of arachidonic acid and conceptus weight and IFN-τ concentration in the uterine luminal fluid were observed. In contrast, there was a positive relationship between concentrations of dihomo-γ-linolenic acid in the non-gravid horn and conceptus weight. In conclusion, the presence of the pre-implantation conceptus appears to modulate endometrial fatty acids, as indicated by the differences in endometrial fatty acid concentrations in the gravid and non-gravid uterine horns. The physiological implication of these local effects of the pre-implantation conceptus, on reproductive success requires further investigation.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Proprietors of Journal of Dairy Research 2011

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ambrose, DJ, Kastelic, JP, Corbett, R, Pitney, PA, Petit, HV, Small, JA & Zalkovic, P 2006 Lower pregnancy losses in lactating dairy cows fed a diet enriched in alpha-linolenic acid. Journal of Dairy Science 89 30663074CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
AOCS 1998 Fatty acid composition by capillary GC (Ce 1e-91). Arlington VA, USA: Association of Official Analytical ChemistsGoogle Scholar
Arosh, JA, Banu, SK, Chapdelaine, P, Madore, E, Sirois, J & Fortier, MA 2004a Prostaglandin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling in corpus luteum: a basis for autoregulation of luteal function. Endocrinology 145 25512560CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arosh, JA, Banu, SK, Kimmins, S, Chapdelaine, P, Maclaren, LA & Fortier, MA 2004b Effect of interferon-tau on prostaglandin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling at the time of maternal recognition of pregnancy in cattle: evidence of polycrine actions of prostaglandin E2. Endocrinology 145 52805293CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asselin, E, Drolet, P & Fortier, MA 1997a Cellular mechanisms involved during oxytocin-induced prostaglandin F2alpha production in endometrial epithelial cells in vitro: role of cyclooxygenase-2. Endocrinology 138 47984805CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asselin, E, Lacroix, D & Fortier, MA 1997b IFN-tau increases PGE2 production and COX-2 gene expression in the bovine endometrium in vitro. Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology 132 117126Google ScholarPubMed
Bilby, TR, Guzeloglu, A, MacLaren, LA, Staples, CR & Thatcher, WW 2006 Pregnancy, bovine somatotropin, and dietary n-3 fatty acids in lactating dairy cows: II. Endometrial gene expression related to maintenance of pregnancy. Journal of Dairy Science 89 33753385CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bilby, TR, Jenkins, T, Staples, CR & Thatcher, WW 2006 Pregnancy, bovine somatotropin, and dietary n-3 fatty acids in lactating dairy cows: III. Fatty acid distribution. Journal of Dairy Science 89 33863399CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Binelli, M, Thatcher, WW, Mattos, R & Baruselli, PS 2001 Antiluteolytic strategies to improve fertility in cattle. Theriogenology 56 14511463CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bradford, MM 1976 A rapid and sensitive method for the quantitation of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Analytical Biochemistry 72 248254CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caldari-Torres, C, Rodriguez-Sallaberry, C, Greene, ES & Badinga, L 2006 Differential effects of n-3 and n-6 fatty acids on prostaglandin F2a production by bovine endometrial cells. Journal of Dairy Science 89 971977CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Childs, S, Hennessy, AA, Sreenan, JM, Wathes, DC, Cheng, Z, Stanton, C, Diskin, MG & Kenny, DA 2008 Effect of level of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on systemic and tissue fatty acid concentrations and on selected reproductive variables in cattle. Theriogenology 70 595611CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coyne, GS, Kenny, DA, Childs, S, Sreenan, JM & Waters, SM 2008 Dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids alter the expression of genes involved in prostaglandin biosynthesis in the bovine uterus. Theriogenology 70 772782CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Coyne, GS, Kenny, DA & Waters, SM 2011 Effect of dietary n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on bovine uterine endometrial and hepatic gene expression of the insulin-like growth factor system. Theriogenology 75 500512CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diskin, MG, Murphy, JJ & Sreenan, JM 2006 Embryo survival in dairy cows managed under pastoral conditions. Animal Reproduction Science 96 297311CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Emond, V, MacLaren, LA, Kimmins, S, Arosh, JA, Fortier, MA & Lambert, RD 2004 Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the endometrial epithelium of the cow is up-regulated during early pregnancy and in response to intrauterine infusions of interferon-tau. Biology of Reproduction 70 5464CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Friggins, NC, Disenhaus, C & Petit, HV 2010 Nutritional sub-fertility in the dairy cow: towards improved reproductive management through a better biological understanding. Animal 4 11971213CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Guzeloglu, A, Michel, F & Thatcher, WW 2004 Differential effects of interferon-tau on the prostaglandin synthetic pathway in bovine endometrial cells treated with phorbol ester. Journal of Dairy Science 87 20322041CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucy, MC 2001 Reproductive loss in high-producing dairy cattle: where will it end? Journal of Dairy Science 84 12771293CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Macdonald, KA, Verkerk, GA, Thorrold, BS, Pryce, JE, Penno, JW, McNaughton, LR, Burton, LJ, Lancaster, JA, Williamson, JH & Holmes, CW 2008 A comparison of three strains of holstein-friesian grazed on pasture and managed under different feed allowances. Journal of Dairy Science 91 16931707Google ScholarPubMed
Mattos, R, Staples, C & Thatcher, W 2000 Effects of dietary fatty acids on reproduction in ruminants. Reviews of Reproduction 5 3845CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mattos, R, Staples, CR, Arteche, A, Wiltbank, MC, Diaz, FJ, Jenkins, TC & Thatcher, WW 2004 The effects of feeding fish oil on uterine secretion of PGF2a, milk composition, and metabolic status of periparturient Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 87 921932CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mattos, R, Staples, CR, Williams, J, Amorocho, A, McGuire, MA & Thatcher, WW 2002 Uterine, ovarian, and production responses of lactating dairy cows to increasing dietary concentrations of menhaden fish meal. Journal of Dairy Science 85 755764CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Meier, S, Peterson, AJ, Mitchell, MD, Littlejohn, M, Walker, C & Roche, JR 2009 Genetic strain and reproductive status affect endometrial fatty acid concentration. Journal of Dairy Science 92 37233730CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Okuda, K, Miyamoto, Y & Skarzynski, DJ 2002 Regulation of endometrial prostaglandin F2a synthesis during luteolysis and early pregnancy in cattle. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 23 255264CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oldick, BS, Staples, CR, Thatcher, WW & Gyawu, P 1997 Abomasal infusion of glucose and fat—effect on digestion, production, and ovarian and uterine functions of cows. Journal of Dairy Science 80 13151328CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parent, J, Villeneuve, C, Alexenko, AP, Ealy, AD & Fortier, MA 2003 Influence of different isoforms of recombinant trophoblastic interferons on prostaglandin production in cultured bovine endometrial cells. Biology of Reproduction 68 10351043CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Payne, RW, Harding, SA, Murray, DA, Soutar, DM, Baird, DB, Glaser, AI, Channing, IC, Welham, SJ, Gilmour, AR, Thompson, R & Webster, R 2008 The Guide to GenStat Release 11, Part 2, VSN International, Hemel Hempstead, UKGoogle Scholar
Peterson, AJ, Ledgard, AM & Hodgkinson, SC 1998 The proteolysis of insulin-like growth factor binding proteins in ovine uterine luminal fluid. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 10 309314CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petit, HV, Cavalieri, FB, Santos, GT, Morgan, J & Sharpe, P 2008 Quality of embryos produced from dairy cows fed whole flaxseed and the success of embryo transfer. Journal of Dairy Science 91 17861790CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Petit, HV & Twagiramungu, H 2006 Conception rate and reproductive function of dairy cows fed different fat sources. Theriogenology 66 13161324CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pru, JK, Rueda, BR, Austin, KJ, Thatcher, WW, Guzeloglu, A & Hansen, TR 2001 Interferon-tau suppresses prostaglandin F2alpha secretion independently of the mitogen-activated protein kinase and nuclear factor kappa B pathways. Biology of Reproduction 64 965973CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spencer, TE & Bazer, FW 2004 Conceptus signals for establishment and maintenance of pregnancy. Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 2:49 (doi: 10.1186/1477-7827-2-49)Google ScholarPubMed
Staples, CR, Burke, JM & Thatcher, WW 1998 Influence of supplemental fats on reproductive tissues and performance of lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science 81 856871CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sukhija, PS & Palmquist, DL 1988 Rapid method for determination of total fatty acid content and composition of feedstuffs and feces. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 36 12021206CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thatcher, WW, Bilby, TR, Bartolome, JA, Silvestre, F, Staples, CR & Santos, JE 2006 Strategies for improving fertility in the modern dairy cow. Theriogenology 65 3044CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thatcher, WW, Binelli, M, Burke, J, Staples, CR, Ambrose, JD & Coelho, S 1997 Antiluteolytic signals between the conceptus and endometrium. Theriogenology 47 131140Google Scholar
Thatcher, WW, Meyer, MD & Danet-Desnoyers, G 1995 Maternal recognition of pregnancy. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 49 1528Google ScholarPubMed
Thatcher, WW, Staples, CR, Danet-Desnoyers, G, Oldick, B & Schmitt, EP 1994 Embryo health and mortality in sheep and cattle. Journal of Animal Science 72 1630CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Veerkamp, RF & Beerda, B 2007 Genetics and genomics to improve fertility in high producing dairy cows. Theriogenology 68 S266S273CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wamsley, NE, Burns, PD, Engle, TE & Enns, RM 2005 Fish meal supplementation alters uterine prostaglandin F2{alpha} synthesis in beef heifers with low luteal-phase progesterone. Journal of Animal Science 83 18321838CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wathes, DC, Abayasekara, DRE & Aitken, RJ 2007 Polyunsaturated fatty acids in male and female reproduction. Biology of Reproduction 77 190201CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Weems, CW, Weems, YS & Randel, RD 2006 Prostaglandins and reproduction in female farm animals. Veterinary Journal 171 206228CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zachut, M, Dekel, I, Lehrer, H, Arieli, A, Arav, A, Livshitz, L, Yakoby, S & Moallem, U 2010 Effects of dietary fats differing in n-6:n-3 ratio fed to high-yielding dairy cows on fatty acid composition of ovarian compartments, follicular status, and oocyte quality. Journal of Dairy Science 93 529545CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiao, CW, Liu, JM, Sirois, J & Goff, AK 1998 Regulation of cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin F synthase gene expression by steroid hormones and interferon-tau in bovine endometrial cells. Endocrinology 139 22932299CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Xiao, CW, Murphy, BD, Sirois, J & Goff, AK 1999 Down-regulation of oxytocin-induced cyclooxygenase-2 and prostaglandin F synthase expression by interferon-tau in bovine endometrial cells. Biology of Reproduction 60 656663CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed