Association between physical properties of cervical mucus and ovulation rate in superovulated cows

Abstract

Possible associations between certain physical properties of cervical mucus (CM) and ovulation rate were studied in 21 superovulated Holstein cows. In CM samples collected at the beginning of estrus (0 h) and in 4 h intervals for the following 24 h, the pH, the spinnbarkeit (spinability), and the crystallization value were measured. Blood samples, collected at the same time points with CM samples, were assessed for progesterone and estradiol concentrations. At 48 h the number of ovulated follicles was counted by transrectal ultrasonography and the animals were allotted into 2 groups according to the occurrence of at least one (group A, n = 16) or no (group B, n = 5) ovulations. The pH was lower (P < 0.05) at 8 h (7.00 +/- 0.24) in group A compared with group B (7.55 +/- 0.12). In group A, spinnbarkeit was significantly lower at 0 h and 20 h, and higher at 8 h and 16 h compared with group B (0 h: 2.50 +/- 0.82 versus 6.95 +/- 0.41; 20 h: 3.00 +/- 1.89 versus 5.38 +/- 0.94; 8 h: 7.00 +/- 0.87 versus 2.75 +/- 0.43; 16 h: 7.00 +/- 1.41 versus 4.30 +/- 0.71, for groups A versus B, respectively). Crystallization was significantly lower at 4 h (2.00 +/- 0.63) and 20 h (1.50 +/- 0.82) in group A compared with group B (3.13 +/- 0.32 at 4 h and 3.00 +/- 0.41 at 20 h). Progesterone at all time points, and estradiol at 16 h, 20 h, and 24 h were lower (P < 0.05) in group A than in group B. The pH, crystallization, estradiol, and progesterone differed (P < 0.05) within one group, while sbk differed within both groups. Our results imply that during the periovulatory period, steadily low progesterone concentrations trigger alterations of certain CM characteristics, while extremely high estradiol concentration could prevent the occurrence of these alterations.