Effect of dietary intake on steroid feedback on release of luteinizing hormone in ovariectomized cows
F. M. Rhodes A B , L. M. Chagas A , B. A. Clark A and G. A. Verkerk AA Dexcel Limited, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton, New Zealand.
B To whom correspondence should be addressed. email: rhodesf@wave.co.nz
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 15(1) 11-17 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD01133
Submitted: 13 November 2001 Accepted: 19 April 2002 Published: 19 April 2002
Abstract
This study tested the hypothesis that the decline in pulsatile release of luteinizing hormone (LH), resulting from steroid negative feedback, is greater in animals fed a low, compared with a high, plane of nutrition. Two-year-old cows were ovariectomized and six days later were fed diets to provide 1.5 × maintenance requirements (n = 6, supplemented) or 0.5 × maintenance requirements (n = 6, restricted) (Round 1). Pulsatile release of LH was measured over a 14-h period on the fifth day of feeding these diets (Day 1); at 6 h, all animals were treated with an intravaginal insert containing 1.38 g progesterone, which remained in place until the end of Day 3. Pulsatile release of LH was again measured for 14 h on Day 3; at 6 h, all animals were injected intramuscularly with oestradiol benzoate (ODB; 1 mg per 500 kg live weight). Three days later, this protocol was repeated, in a cross-over design, with cows that were previously restricted now being supplemented and those cows previously supplemented, now restricted (Round 2). Plasma concentrations of progesterone after intravaginal progesterone treatment were 1.01 ng mL−1 higher in restricted cows compared with supplemented cows (P < 0.001) and were also higher in Round 1 than in Round 2 and on Day 1 than on Day 3 (P < 0.001). Plasma concentrations of oestradiol following injection with ODB did not differ between supplemented and restricted cows (P > 0.1). Dietary intake did not affect mean concentrations of LH, pulse frequency or amplitude during the 6-h period before steroid treatment or the change in these variables following steroid treatment; however, the slope of the decline in concentrations of LH following progesterone treatment was significantly more negative in cows fed restricted diets compared with those fed supplemented diets. In Round 2, mean concentrations of LH were higher preceding, and decreased more following, progesterone treatment compared with the decrease after ODB treatment. In conclusion, acute dietary restriction resulted in a more rapid decline in the release of LH following treatment with intravaginal progesterone, and was associated with higher concentrations of progesterone in plasma.
Acknowledgments
The authors thank Graeme Martin for his comments during the preparation of the manuscript and Harold Henderson for his statistical advice. The technical assistance of Stuart Morgan, Peter Gore, Susanne Meier and Erna Jansen and the laboratory support of Glenys Parton, Trish O’Donnel and Eleanor Smith is gratefully acknowledged. Antibody to LH was kindly donated by AgResearch, (Invermay, New Zealand) and purified LH (AFP–7071B) by NIDDK (Bethesda, MD, USA). DEC-InterAg (Hamilton, New Zealand) provided the CIDR inserts and CIDIROL. Funding was from The Foundation for Science, Research and Technology, New Zealand, contract number DRC 601.
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