This study aimed to investigate the association between plasma adipokine concentrations and metabolic and reproductive parameters in Holstein dairy cows fed diets with different energy levels during the peripartum period. The experiment started 1 mo before first calving and was maintained for 2 lactations. Dry matter intake and energy balance in animals fed a low-energy (LE) diet were significantly lower than that of animals fed a high-energy (HE) diet in the first lactation. Body weight, milk production, back fat thickness, and plasma concentrations of fatty acids, glucose, and insulin were not affected by diet, whereas plasma leptin and adiponectin concentrations were lower and plasma resistin concentrations higher in animals fed the LE diet. Unlike concentrations of adiponectin, plasma resistin concentrations were positively correlated with back fat thickness and plasma fatty acids concentrations and negatively correlated with dry matter intake and plasma leptin concentrations. No effect of diet was found on reproductive variables; that is, pregnancy rates at 35 or 90 d after artificial insemination (AI); numbers of small (3-5 mm), medium (>5 and ≤7 mm), and large (>7 mm) follicles; calving-to-AI and calving-to-calving intervals; and magnitude and duration of the LH surge. However, the commencement of luteal activity after first calving occurred sooner and the frequency of LH pulses was higher in the HE group than in the LE group. A significant positive correlation was found between the number of follicles (of any size) and the area under the curve of plasma resistin concentrations. The number of small follicles was also positively correlated with the nadir of plasma resistin concentrations. Taken together, these results suggest that dietary energy content in the range applied here can alter the resumption of ovarian activity and LH pulsatility without affecting fat mobilization. Plasma adipokine profiles (leptin, resistin, and adiponectin) were significantly altered by diet and negative energy balance but relationships with reproductive variables were limited to follicular growth characteristics and plasma resistin concentrations.

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Background A number of studies have examined mRNA expression profiles of bovine endometrium at estrus and around the peri-implantation period of pregnancy. However, to date, these studies have been performed on the whole endometrium which is a complex tissue. Consequently, the knowledge of cell-specific gene expression, when analysis performed with whole endometrium, is still weak and obviously limits the relevance of the results of gene expression studies. Thus, the aim of this study was to characterize specific transcriptome of the three main cell-types of the bovine endometrium at day-15 of the estrus cycle. Results In the RNA-Seq analysis, the number of expressed genes detected over 10 transcripts per million was 6622, 7814 and 8242 for LE, GE and ST respectively. ST expressed exclusively 1236 genes while only 551 transcripts were specific to the GE and 330 specific to LE. For ST, over-represented biological processes included many regulation processes and response to stimulus, cell communication and cell adhesion, extracellular matrix organization as well as developmental process. For GE, cilium organization, cilium movement, protein localization to cilium and microtubule-based process were the only four main biological processes enriched. For LE, over-represented biological processes were enzyme linked receptor protein signaling pathway, cell-substrate adhesion and circulatory system process. Conclusion The data show that each endometrial cell-type has a distinct molecular signature and provide a significantly improved overview on the biological process supported by specific cell-types. The most interesting result is that stromal cells express more genes than the two epithelial types and are associated with a greater number of pathways and ontology terms.

Traditionally, extenders for bull semen included egg yolk or milk, but recently there has been a move to avoid material of animal origin. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of two commercial extenders (based on soya lecithin and liposomes) on bull sperm quality after cryopreservation. Post-thaw sperm quality was evaluated by computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometric assessment of membrane integrity, chromatin integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, production of reactive oxygen species and tyrosine phosphorylation. Furthermore, an artificial insemination (AI) trial was conducted, and 56-day non-return rates were evaluated. Semen frozen in the liposome-based extender showed similar membrane integrity and higher mitochondrial membrane potential compared to those in the soya lecithin-based extender. Chromatin integrity and production of live H O + reactive oxygen species were similar in both extenders. Less superoxide was produced in the samples extended with liposome-based extender, with or without menadione stimulation. Chromatin integrity and tyrosine phosphorylation were not affected by either type of extender. No differences in 56-day non-return rate between extenders containing soya lecithin and liposomes were observed in the AI trial (66% ± 0.8 and 65% ± 0.8, respectively). In conclusion, the sperm quality of bull semen frozen in the two extenders that do not contain material of animal origin was similar, although the semen frozen in the liposome-based extender had higher mitochondrial membrane potential. Either extender could be used in situations where extenders containing material of animal origin are to be avoided.

The severity of negative energy balance (NEB) in high-producing dairy cows has a high incidence among health diseases. The cow’s energy status during early lactation critically affects metabolic and reproductive parameters. The first objective of this study was to investigate by RNA-seq analysis and RT-qPCR the gene expression profile in white adipose tissue and by gene ontology and upstream regulation tools the relationships with energy metabolism and reproduction in two groups of primiparous dairy cows with extreme NEB statuses (NEB < -9 Mcal/day vs. NEB > -9 Mcal/day) around parturition. The second objective was to determine the potential involvement of a new adipokine identified as a candidate for the regulation of ovarian function in our RNA-seq analysis by using bovine primary granulosa culture, thymidine incorporation to determine cell proliferation and ELISA assays to measure progesterone secretion. The RNA-seq analysis revealed that 514 genes were over-expressed and 695 were under-expressed in the adipose tissue of cows with severe NEB (SNEB) and cows with moderate NEB (MNEB) during the -4 and 16 wkpp period. In addition, 491 genes were over-expressed and 705 genes were under-expressed in the adipose tissue of SNEB cows compared to MNEB cows. Among these differently expressed genes (DEGs), 298 were related to metabolic functions and 264 to reproductive traits. A set of 19 DEGs were validated by RT-qPCR, including CCL21 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 21). Moreover, CCL21, a gene known to be secreted by adipose tissue, was chosen for further analysis in plasma and ovaries. The use of next-generation sequencing technologies allowed us to characterise the transcriptome of white adipose tissue from primiparous cows with different levels of NEB during lactation. This study highlighted the alteration of the expression of genes related to lipid metabolism, including CCL21, which is released in the bloodstream and associated with the in vitro regulation of ovarian functions.