Abstract
First lactation Holstein cows were divided into two treatment groups to evaluate thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH, 0.25 μg/kg body weight) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH; 200 μg) induced secretion of prolactin (PRL) and luteinizing hormone (LH) on days 7 and 16 postpartum. Disregarding treatment, LH response was greater (p <0.01) on day 16 than day 7 postpartum (7.5 ± 0.3 ng/ml on day 7 vs 10.2 ± 0.3 ng/ml serum on day 16). Mastectomized cattle had similar time for initiation of LH increase, but peak concentrations were achieved later. Peak PRL concentrations were reached 12 to 15 min after injection and returned to baseline within 2.5 h in both groups. However, intact cows had higher (p <0.01) mean serum PRL than the mastectomized cows for 1 h following injection. Peak PRL concentration was 83.3±17.6 ng/ml for mastectomized cows vs 128.0 ± 24.7 ng/ml for intact cows. It appears that udder removal allows for greater pituitary responsiveness to GnRH but diminishes PRL response to TRH suggesting the mammary gland differentially affects pituitary secretion of LH and PRL.
References
Peters A.R. Reproductive activity of the cow in the post-partum period. I. Factors effecting the length of the post-partum acyclic period. Brit. Vet. J. 140: 76, 1984.
Kesler D.J., Garverick H.A., Youngquist R.S., Elmore R.G., Bierschwal C.J. Effect of days post-partum and endogenous reproductive hormones on GnRH induced LH release in dairy cows. J. Anim.Sci. 45: 797, 1977.
Schams D.E., Schallenberger E., Menzer C., Stangl J., Zottmeier K., Hoffman B., Karg H. Profile of LH, FSH, and progesterone in post-partum dairy cows and their relationship to the commencement of cyclic function. Theriogenology 10: 453, 1978.
Foster J.P., Lamming G.E., Peters A.R. Short-term relationships between plasma LH, FSH and progesterone concentrations in post-partum dairy cows and the effect of GnRH injection. J. Reprod. Fertil. 59: 321, 1980.
Akers R.M. Lactogenic hormones: Binding sites, mammary growth, secretory cell differentiation and milk biosynthesis in ruminants. J. Dairy Sci. 68: 501, 1985.
Kahn G., Martinet J., Schirar A. Control of Ovulation. Butterworths, London, 1978, p. 319.
Schallenberger E., Schams D., Zoltmeier K. Response of luteotropin (LH) and follitropin (FSH) to the administration of gonadoliberin (GnRH) in pregnant and post-partum cows including experiments with prolactin suppression. Theriogenology 10: 35, 1978.
Akers R.M., and Lefcourt A.M. Effect of presence of calf on milking-induced release of prolactin and oxytocin during early lactation of dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 67: 115, 1984.
Peters R.R., Chapin L.T., Emery R.S., Tucker H.A. Milk yields, feed intake, prolactin, growth hormone, and glucocorticoid response of cows to supplemental light. J. Dairy Sci. 64: 1671, 1981.
Short R.E., Bellows R.A., Moody E.L., Howland B.E. Effects of suckling and mastectomy on bovine post-partum reproduction. J. Anim.Sci. 34: 70, 1972.
DeSilva A.W.M.A., Anderson G.W., Gwazdauskas F.C., McGilliard M.L., Lineweaver J.A. Interrelationships with estrous behavior and conception in dairy cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 64: 2409, 1981.
Goodnight J.H. SAS User’s Guide Statistics SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC., 1982.
Carruthers T.D., Convey E.M., Kesner J.S., Hafs H.D., Cheng K.W. The hypothalamo-pituitary gonadotrophic axis of suckled and nonsuckled dairy cows postpartum. J. Anim. Sci. 51: 949, 1980.
Britt J.H., Kittock R.J., Harrison D.S. Ovulation, estrus, and endocrine response after GnRH in early postpartum cows. J. Anim. Sci. 39: 915, 1974.
Walters D.A., Kaltenbach C.C., Dunn T.G., Short R.E. Pituitary and ovarian function in postpartum beef cows. I. Effect of suckling on serum and follicular fluid hormones and follicular gonadotropin receptors. Biol. Reprod. 26: 640, 1982.
Carruthers T.D., Hafs H.D. Suckling and 4X daily milking: Information on ovulation, estrus, and serum LH, glucocorticoids and prolactin in post-partum Holsteins. J. Anim. Sci. 50: 919, 1980.
Karg H., Schams D., Reinhardt V. Effects of 2-Br-α-erg-cryptine on plasma prolactin and milk yield in cows. Experimentia 28: 574, 1972.
Williams G.L., Ray D.E. Hormonal and reproductive profiles of early postpartum beef heifers after prolactin suppression on steroid induced luteal function. J. Anim. Sci. 50: 906, 1980.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Holt, L.C., Akers, R.M., Denbow, C.J. et al. Effect of gestational mastectomy on postpartum gonadotropin releasing hormone and thyrotropin releasing hormone-induced luteinizing hormone and prolactin response in first lactation holstein cattle. J Endocrinol Invest 14, 147–150 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350289
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350289