Clinical Use of Progesterone and Its Relation to Oxidative Stress in Ruminants

Abstract

Studies to determine the physiological effects and functions of progesterone started in the twentieth century. Progesterone is a steroid-structured hormone with 21 carbon atoms originating from cholesterol. The corpus luteum, formed after ovulation in ruminants, secretes progesterone, which plays a role in the continuity of the pregnancy. Progestagens can be used for estrus synchronization in cows and heifers. Similarly, they are used for estrus synchronization during the breeding season or outside the breeding season by taking advantage of the negative feedback effect of progesterone in small ruminants. It is applied for the treatment of embryonic deaths due to luteal insufficiency in cows with high milk yield. In anovulatory anestrus, exogenous progesterone applications can be very useful. Progesterone treatment contributes to the resolution of the anestrus by rearranging hypothalamic functions in cattle with follicular cysts. The oxidative stress index in the luteal phase, when progesterone is high in ruminants, is higher than in the follicular phase. In the critical period of pregnancy, a high index of oxidative stress-induced progesterone causes embryonic death. Factors that cause stress in high milk-yielding cows can affect the amount of progesterone synthesis by inhibiting luteal cell function due to excessive free radical production.

Controlled Internal Drug Release Uygulaması İle Senkronizasyon Yapılarak Gebe ve Gebe Kalmayan Abaza Keçilerinde Oksidatif/Nitrozatif Stres, Leptin ve Progesteron Konsantrasyonlarının Karşılaştırılması

“…Oxidative stress is a serious problem which is being studied extensively in human and animals, especially in cattle, sheep and goats in conditions of sepsis, mastitis, metritis, retentio secundinarum and genital tract inflammation [6,19] . There are few studies about fertility and the oxidative stress created by P4 sources used intravaginally for estrus synchronization in small ruminants [4,8] . Intravaginal sponge applications are known to be a common cause infection [20] .…”

“…Hormonal applications are frequently used in sheep and goats to induce and/or synchronize estrus in order to perform artificial insemination easily and to mitigate seasonal effects [1,4] . Plasma P4 concentrations are reported to be above 1 ng/mL 2 h, 4 h, 4 days and 13 days after using CIDR or P4 sponges in sheep and goats [23] .…”

“…Vaginal inserts that contain progesterone (P4) [sponge or controlled internal drug release (CIDR)] can be used for estrus synchronization in ruminants [1][2][3][4] . These inserts are left in the vagina and can cause tissue damage and inflammation [5] .…”

“…Intravaginal inserts in particular are reported to cause oxidative stress in goats [8] . However, there are few studies about the relationship between oxidative stress and CIDR applications [4,8] .…”

Effect of two prostaglandin F2α injections administered 24 hours apart on the pregnancy rate of Simmental cows subjected to the Ovsynch or Ovsynch + Controlled internal drug release (CIDR) protocols

“…The use of a progesterone device improves synchronization and may also enhance oocyte competence in cattle (22,30). In the Ovsynch protocol, progesterone treatment can be performed between d 0 and 7 to increase the pregnancy rate (PR) (1,2,12,18,25). Hence, premature estrus does not occur and full synchronization is ensured (8,17).…”