UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO

ESCOLA SUPERIOR DE AGRICULTURA LUIZ DE QUEIROZ

DEPARTMENT OF ANIMAL SCIENCE

Estradiol benzoate-based protocol versus

GnRH-based protocol for timed AI in dairy cattle

PLJ Monteiro Jr1; RS Surjus1; AB Nascimento1;

AP Lemes1; AB Prata1; MC Wiltbank2; R Sartori1

University of São Paulo, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil1; University of

Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA2

July, 2013
 Introduction

 Different esters of estradiol are used with progesterone for

induction of new follicular wave emergence and estradiol

esters also for induction of ovulation in dairy cows

 Estradiol benzoate (EB) + progesterone  Most used protocol

in Brazil

 18% of the cows do not undergo emergence of a new follicular

wave and ovulate persistent follicles (Monteiro Jr et al., 2012)

 Estradiol cypionate (EC) is used for inducing ovulation

 Introduction

Table 1 - Characteristics (mean ± S.E.M.) of the circulating estradiol-17β (E-17β)

profiles in lactating dairy cows treated with different esters of estradiol in the
absence of follicles > 5 mm

Souza et al., 2005

 Hypotheses

 Compared to EB, GnRH administered on Day 0

increases pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in dairy cows

subjected to a progesterone-based timed AI program

 The use of EB for induction of ovulation increases

P/AI in dairy cows compared to EC

 Objectives

To compare ovarian dynamics and fertility of

dairy cows subjected to a timed AI protocol initiated

with either GnRH or EB and inducing ovulation with

either EC or EB.
 Material and Methods

 418 Lactating Holstein Cows

 35.5 ± 1.1 kg of milk/day

 165.6 ± 12.7 days in milk

 2.8 ± 0.03 body condition score

 Material and Methods

Experimetal Design

EB EC
or or
GnRH EB
PGF2α PGF2α
TAI
Progesterone CIDR device (1.9 g)

D0 D7 D8 D9 D10
BS BS US
US US

Wave synchronization (D0) Ovulation inducing (D8 or

D9)
EB (n = 197)  2.0 mg EC (n = 202)  1.0 mg
GnRH (n = 221)  10.0 µg Buserelin EB (n = 223)  1.0 mg
 Material and Methods

 Plasma progesterone concentration

 D0 and D7 by RIA

 Pregnancy diagnosis by ultrasonography

 28 and 56 d after AI

 Statistical analyses

 Glimmix procedure of SAS

Results
 Results

Ovulatory Response on Day 0

40% EB
P < 0.01
35% GnRH
Cows with new CL (%)

30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
Ovulatory response
 Results

Percentage of cows with CL

100%
EB
90% P < 0.01
GnRH
80%
Cows with CL (%)

70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
Day 0 Day 7
Protocol Day
 Results

Progesterone Concentration (ng/mL)

4,5 EB
Progesterone Concentration

4,0 P < 0.01 GnRH

3,5
3,0
(ng/mL)

2,5
2,0
1,5
1,0
0,5
0,0
Day 0 Day 7
Protocol Day
 Results

CL Regression Between D0 and D7

60% P < 0.01 EB
50% GnRH
CL Regression (%)

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
CL Regression
 Results

Diameter of Ovulatory Follicle

16 EB
P = 0.02
Diameter Ovulatory Follicle

GnRH
15
(mm)

14

13

12
Ovulatory Follicle
 Results

Pregnancy per AI and Embryo Loss

Main effect of wave emergence: EB vs. GnRH (Day 0); Non-Sig.
40% EB
35% GnRH
30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
28 Days 56 Days Embryo Loss
 Results

Pregnancy per AI and Loss Embryo

Main effect for ovulation: EC vs. EB (Day 8 or 9); Non-Sig.
40% EC
35% EB
30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
28 Days 56 Days Embryo Loss
 Results

Pregnancy per AI and Loss Embryo

Interactions between emergence and ovulation: Non-Sig.
45% EB EC
40% EB EB
GnRH EC
35%
GnRH EB
30%

25%

20%

15%

10%

5%

0%
28 Days 56 Days Embryo Loss
 Conclusions

Initiation of a timed AI protocol with GnRH rather than

EB resulted in increased circulating P4 and number of CL on

D7, and increased ovulatory follicle size. However, no

differences in pregnancy per AI and pregnancy loss were

detected for the temporal treatment sequences for wave

emergence (EB and GnRH) and induction of ovulation (EB

and EC) in lactating dairy cows.

 Acknowledgment
Fazenda São Jorge
Roberto Sartori Filho
Milo C. Wiltbank
José Eduardo Portela Santos
Anibal Ballarotti do Nascimento
Juliana Borges
Michele Bastos
Monique Guardieiro
Louise Oliveira
Leonardo de França e Melo
Ricardo da Silva Surjus
Alexandre Prata
Fernanda Lavínia
Amanda Lemes
Fernanda Zinsly
Guilherme Pontes
Murilo Porto
Igor Sokolovisky
pedromonteirojr@usp.br