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. 2018 Nov 10;9(1):32-38.
doi: 10.1093/af/vfy027. eCollection 2019 Jan.

Impact of heat stress on cow reproduction and fertility

David Wolfenson  1 , Zvi Roth  1
Affiliations

Impact of heat stress on cow reproduction and fertility

David Wolfenson et al. Anim Front. .
No abstract available

Keywords: cooling; cows; fertility; heat stress; ovarian function.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Conception rates in large dairy farms in Israel of cows first inseminated during the winter (January–March) or summer (July–September) of 2000–2017. Mean maximal air temperatures during August month of each year are presented as a black curve. Extreme summer conditions in 2010, 2012, and 2015 are associated with markedly lower conception rates. Adapted from Y. Lavon and E. Ezra, Israel Herd Book, with permission.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Diagram illustrating the long-term effects of seasonal heat stress on the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis and its involvement in reducing fertility of lactating cows. Reduced LH secretion is associated with reduced follicular estradiol (E2) secretion. Reduced dominance of the preovulatory follicle is reflected by reduced androstenedione (An) and E2 concentrations and is associated with reduced estrous behavior. Increased number of medium-size follicles (6–9 mm in diameter), most likely due to reduced dominance, is associated with reduced inhibin and increased FSH concentrations. Reduced oocyte and embryo developmental competence is associated with disruption of nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. Reduced plasma progesterone (P4) concentration is related to impaired function of the CL. Reduced fertility in heat-stressed cows is presumed to result from additive effects. Adapted from Roth and Wolfenson (2016).
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Seasonal differences in steroid production. (A and B) Estradiol production by granulosa cells (A) and androstenedione production by theca cells (B) obtained from dominant follicles on day 7 of the estrous cycle are lower in summer than in winter. (C and D) Progesterone production by luteinized granulosa (C) and theca (D) cells obtained from dominant follicles on day 6 of the cycle is lower in summer than in winter. Cells underwent differentiation to luteal cells for 9 days. Adapted from Wolfenson et al. (1997, 2002).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Diagram illustrating stage-dependent pattern of resistance/sensitivity of the ovarian pool of follicles and their enclosed oocytes to heat stress. The primordial, primary, and secondary follicles are heat-resistant, whereas the developing antral follicles, including the dominant and preovulatory follicles, are sensitive to heat exposure with a prominent effect on the germinal vesicle-stage oocyte (developing stage) and metaphase II (MII)-stage oocyte (ovulation). Adapted from Roth (2017).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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