Bioscientifica Proceedings

Summary. Reduced reproductive performance of lactating cows during the summer is associated mainly with intensive genetic selection for high milk production, which places a great load on the thermoregulatory mechanism. Today, cooling is the predominant strategy used to alleviate the effects of heat stress. However, it cannot eliminate the decline in reproduction. A better understanding of the mechanism by which heat stress compromises fertility is required to ...

Summary. Mastitis has a deleterious effect on reproductive responses and fertility of dairy cows, which depends on whether it occurs before or after artificial insemination (AI). Subclinical intramammary infection (IMI) before AI reduced steroid concentrations in the preovulatory follicle of approximately one third of lactating cows, and was associated with low expression of major steroidogenic genes. Consequently, IMI induced an attenuated LH surge and delaye...