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Updated: May 30, 2026

In Vitro Culture Strategy for Oocytes from Early Antral Follicle in Cattle
Published on: July 8, 2020
Influence of progesterone on oocyte quality and embryo development in cows
1School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, College of Life Sciences, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland. pat.lonergan@ucd.ie
Abstract:
In cattle, the majority of embryo loss occurs very early during pregnancy (approximately Day 16), around or prior to maternal recognition of pregnancy. The actions of P4 in controlling LH pulsatility and ovarian follicular development may impinge negatively on oocyte quality. A considerable proportion of embryo loss may be attributable to inadequate circulating progesterone (P4) concentrations and the subsequent downstream consequences on endometrial gene expression and histotroph secretion into the uterine lumen. Conceptus growth and development require the action of P4 on the uterus to regulate endometrial function, including conceptus-maternal interactions, pregnancy recognition, and uterine receptivity for implantation. This review summarizes recent data highlighting the role of progesterone in determining oocyte quality and embryo development in cattle.
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