Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary fat supplementation and a synthetic progestogen on metabolic hormone patterns and(or) in vitro and in vivo characteristics of induced corpora lutea (CL) in undernourished, post-partum beef cows. Metabolizable energy intake was restricted in all cows in both experiments before calving to achieve a body condition (BC) score of 4 (thin), with cows fed to maintain BW and condition after calving. In Exp. 1, 16 cows were fed isocaloric and isonitrogenous diets after calving with either no added fat (NL, n = 8) or added fat (HL, n = 8; .374 kg of fat/500 kg BW). In Exp. 2, 32 pluriparous cows that had reached targeted body condition were divided randomly at calving into a 2 x 2 factorial treatment arrangement: 1) HL-no implant; HL-CON, 2) HL-norgestomet implant d 14 to 21; HL-NORG, 3) NL-CON and, 4) NL-NORG. Forty-eight-hour calf removal on d 21 and GnRH on d 23 were used to induce CL. The HL diet increased (P < .03) serum growth hormone (GH) concentrations, changed the puerperal pattern of serum insulin from cubic (P < .05) to linear (P < .05), and increased (P < .01) the in vitro production of IGF-I by luteal tissue (Exp. 1). In Exp. 2, both HL diets and NORG treatments (HL-NORG, HL-CON, NL NORG) tended to promote an increased (P < .09) frequency of luteal activity after GnRH, but only HL-CON and NL-NORG enhanced (P < .04) luteal lifespan.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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The role of high- and low-density lipoproteins (HDL and LDL) in regulating steroidogenic activity, cellular viability and proliferation, and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) production was examined in granulosa and theca cells from dominant preovulatory (DO) and nonovulatory (DNO) bovine follicles. Follicles were obtained from pluriparous nonlactating beef cows at ovariectomy 24 h after administration of a luteolytic dose of prostaglandin F2 alpha (DO) or during the first follicular wave on Days 5-8 of the estrous cycle (DNO). Lipoprotein effects on hormone production (ng/1.5 x 10(5) viable cells) and cell viability were studied in serum-free, defined medium containing LH and FSH (granulosa) or LH only (theca). During late stages (96-144 h) of culture, HDL in the presence of gonadotropins increased (p < 0.001) the production of progesterone by granulosa and theca cells and the production of IGF-I by granulosa cells. LDL did not stimulate granulosa or thecal progesterone synthesis and attenuated HDL-stimulated progesterone production by both cell types. Gonadotropin stimulation of terminal synthetic pathways was either attenuated (granulosa estradiol production) by addition of lipoproteins or maximally stimulated (theca cell androstenedione production) by a combination of LDL and HDL. Both lipoproteins increased (p < 0.05) granulosa cell viability in both follicle types, and a marked proliferation (p < 0.001) of steroidogenically inactive theca cells was observed from DO but not DNO follicles. Proliferation potential appeared to be switched off during the late stages of maturation of DNO follicles and switched on after induced luteal regression and rescue of DO follicles.