Enzyme activity in bovine cervical mucus during spontaneous and induced estrus

The purpose of the present research was to compare the enzyme activity of alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), alpha-amylase, alpha-manosidase, beta-N-acetyloglucosaminidase, beta-glucuronidase, and beta-galactosidase in the cervical mucus of cows during spontaneous and induced estrus. Friesian cows (n = 106) were assigned to 4 groups: 1) no treatment; 2) progesterone releasing intervaginal device (PRID) for 12 days plus pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) at the removal of the PRID; 3) PGF2alpha 2 doses 11 days apart; and 4) PRID for 7 days plus PGF2alpha 1 dose, 24 hours before removal of the PRID. Fourteen cows were excluded from the trial because of an inadequate quantity of cervical mucus collected or a lost PRID. The cows from the 3 induced estrus groups were artificially inseminated (AI) twice, while those with spontaneous estrus received only a single AI. Cervical mucus samples were collected from all cows 5 to 30 min before the first AI. The results are summarized as follows: 1) ALP and alpha-amylase activity for spontaneous estrus were similar to those for induced estrus; 2) LDH activity levels during spontaneous estrus were significantly lower (P < 0.001) than that in the P4 and P4+PGF2alpha induced estrus groups; and 3) glycosidases' activity was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in the spontaneous estrus group than that in the induced estrous groups. In conclusion, the activity of most enzymes in the cervical mucus of cows, in the present study, was significantly different between the spontaneous and the induced estrus groups.