Failure to maintain luteal function: a possible cause of early embryonic loss in a cow

The effect of early pregnancy failure on the release of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) in response to oxytocin (Ot) was examined in an abnormal breeder (AB) heifer that was not able to maintain a pregnancy beyond 21 days. This animal was used in three experiments: 1) She received one intravenous injection of 100 IU Ot 17 days after the onset of oestrus (Day 0). Frequent blood samples were taken for the measurement of 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha (PGFM) by radioimmunoassay. Daily samples for progesterone (P4) determinations were taken to monitor luteal function. This was then repeated using the same animal at either day 17 or 18 or 19 (day 17-19) of pregnancy. 2) Embryos from superovulated normal breeder (NB) donors were transferred at day 7 to the AB heifer as well as to NB control animals. 3) Seven day old embryos from the superovulated AB heifer were transferred to NB recipient animals. At day 17-19 of pregnancy all the recipient heifers (experiments 2 and 3) were subjected to the same protocol as in experiment 1. The results showed that the ability of Ot to stimulate PGF2 alpha release was reduced in the NB recipients bearing viable embryos when compared to cyclic animals. However, for the AB heifer, Ot stimulated PGF2 alpha release to the same extent whether the animal was cyclic or pregnant. Furthermore, the AB animal did not have the extended luteal function associated with removal of viable embryos on day 17-19. The data suggest that the embryonic loss might have been caused by failure of the embryos to prevent the luteolytic release of PGF2 alpha.