Concomitance of luteinizing hormone and progesterone oscillations during the transition from preluteolysis to luteolysis in cattle

The temporal relationships of episodes of luteinizing hormone (LH) oscillations, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α (PGFM) pulses, and progesterone (P4) fluctuations during the latter portion of preluteolysis and the early portion of luteolysis were characterized. In Experiment 1, the detection of LH episodes in blood samples collected every 15 min for 8 h was compared with detection in the samples collected every hour in 4 heifers. The number of independently detected episodes/heifer (total = 7) was the same for the 15-min and hourly collection intervals. In Experiment 2, blood samples were collected every hour (n = 7 heifers) and retrospectively assigned to 15 h before and 15 h after the transitional hour between preluteolysis and luteolysis. During preluteolysis, compared with luteolysis, the amplitude of LH oscillations was greater (0.28 ± 0.03 vs 0.18 ± 0.03 ng/mL; P < 0.02) and the interval between peaks of LH oscillations was shorter (3.3 ± 0.3 h vs 4.3 ± 0.6 h; P < 0.04). The LH peaks occurred at the same hour as the peak of a P4 fluctuation in 77% and 29% of LH oscillations (P < 0.0009) during preluteolysis and luteolysis, respectively. In preluteolysis, synchrony between LH and P4 episodes occurred consistently during the P4 rebound after the peak of a PGFM pulse. In luteolysis, the LH peak preceded the peak of the P4 rebound. On a temporal basis, the hypothesis was supported that episodic LH accounts, at least in part, for the reported P4 rebound that occurs after the P4 suppression at the peak of a PGFM pulse.