Influence of environmental heat on peripheral plasma progesterone and cortisol during the bovine estrous cycle

Plasm progesterone and cortisol were measured in jugular blood by competitive protein-binding assay. Six cycling, estrus-synchronized Guernsey heifers were followed for four consecutive estrous cycles under two controlled temperature (18.2 C, 55% relative humidity; and 33.5 C, 55% relative humidity) conditions. Prolonged exposure to heat of Guernsey heifers increased plasma progesterone on days 2 to 19 of the first cycle and only on days 2 to 8 of the second cycle. However, heat stress depressed plasma cortisol in both cycles and reduced the correlation coefficient between these steroids relative to specific stages of the estrous cycle.