Endocrine milieu and developmental dynamics of ovarian cysts and persistent follicles in postpartum dairy cows

Ovarian follicular cysts and persistent follicles are follicular pathologies involved in reduced fertility of dairy cows. Two separate experiments were performed on high-yielding Holstein cows to characterize ovarian cyclicity and evaluate the developmental dynamics of follicle pathologies postpartum. In experiment 1, 58 cows were monitored by ultrasonography twice weekly from d 18 ± 1 to 69 ± 2 postpartum. First ovulation occurred 38 ± 3, 27 ± 2, 20 ± 1, and 25 ± 3 d postpartum in cows with 1 cycle (n = 11), 2 cycles (n = 21), 3 cycles (n = 13), and 4 cycles (n = 7), respectively. Follicular pathologies were developed in cows that were either acyclic (n = 6) or had 1 or 2 cycles, but not in cows with more than 2 cycles. In experiment 2, 47 cows were monitored twice weekly from 10 d postpartum to second ovulation. Follicles ≥17 mm in diameter in 2 consecutive scans were aspirated, and concentrations of various hormones were measured. Cows were defined as cyclic (n = 30; 64%) or with the potential to develop follicular pathology (n = 17; 36%). Aspirated follicles (n = 27) were classified into 3 main groups based on follicular growth rate, follicular diameter, and ovarian activity before and after follicular aspiration. Dominant follicles (n = 4) were defined as large follicles (20 mm in diameter) with growth rate ≤1 mm/d and normal ovarian activity. Persistent follicles (n = 6) had the same growth rate and diameter as the dominant follicles, but persisted at the same diameter for ≥10 d. Ovarian cysts (n = 17) were defined as the largest follicular structures (19 to 32 mm in diameter), with abnormal growth rate (>1 mm/d) and abnormal ovarian activity. Single or turnover cysts did not differ in their growth parameters and were therefore combined and further classified according to follicular-fluid hormone concentrations. Estradiol-dominant cysts (n = 7) were characterized by normal estradiol (284 to 659 ng/mL) and progesterone (20 to 113 ng/mL) concentrations, similar to those of the dominant follicle (554 to 993 ng/mL and 44 to 106 ng/mL, respectively). Progesterone-dominant cysts (n = 5) were characterized by low estradiol (0.06 to 330 ng/mL) and high progesterone (586 to 3,288 ng/mL) concentrations. Low-steroidogenic active cysts (n = 5) were characterized by low concentrations of both estradiol (23 to 61 ng/mL) and progesterone (17 to 205 ng/mL). Characterization of spontaneously forming cysts might enable definition of the formation of ovarian follicular pathologies in postpartum cows.