Manipulation of progesterone to increase ovulatory response to the first GnRH treatment of an Ovsynch protocol in lactating dairy cows receiving first timed artificial insemination

Ovulation to the first GnRH (G1) treatment of the Ovsynch protocol improves synchronization rate and pregnancies per AI (P/AI). Elevated progesterone (P4) concentrations at G1 decrease the ovulatory response by decreasing the magnitude of the GnRH-induced LH surge. Therefore, our objective was to evaluate the effect of temporarily decreasing P4 concentrations before initiation of an Ovsynch protocol on ovulatory response to G1 and P/AI. Lactating Holstein cows (n=800) at 53±3 (herd A) or 51±3 (herd B) d in milk (DIM) were synchronized using a modified Double-Ovsynch protocol pre-Ovsynch protocol (d 0, GnRH; d 7, PGF2α; d 10, GnRH) followed 7 d later by an Ovsynch-56 protocol (d 0, G1; d 7, PGF2α; d 8, PGF2α; d 9.5, GnRH) to receive first timed artificial insemination (TAI; 80±3 DIM) 16h after the last GnRH treatment. Cows were randomly assigned to receive 12.5mg of PGF2α (a half-dose of dinoprost tromethamine) 2 d before G1 (low-P4) or serve as untreated controls (high-P4). Overall, high-P4 cows had greater P4 concentrations at G1 compared with low-P4 cows (3.0 vs. 1.3ng/mL, respectively). Ovulatory response to G1 was greater for low-P4 than high-P4 cows 81.1 vs. 60.3%, respectively. Premature luteal regression during the second Ovsynch protocol did not differ between treatments 15.0% vs. 10.7%; for low-P4 vs. high-P4 cows, respectively. Overall, P/AI did not differ between treatments 32 d after TAI 56.3 vs. 52.9%, for low-P4 vs. high-P4 cows, respectively or 67 d after AI 50.5 vs. 47.6%, for low-P4 vs. high-P4 cows, respectively. Pregnancy loss from 32 to 67 d after TAI did not differ between treatments 9.9 vs. 9.3%, for low-P4 vs. high-P4 cows, respectively. Overall, cows that ovulated to G1 had more P/AI than cows that did not ovulate 58.2 vs. 41.8%, respectively. The increase in P/AI for cows that ovulated to G1 (16.4%) combined with the observed increase in ovulation to G1 due to treatment (20.8%; low-P4 - high-P4) resulted in the expected numerical increase in P/AI of 3.4% in low-P4 versus high-P4 cows observed in this experiment. We conclude that administration of a half-dose of PGF2α 2 d before G1 during a Double-Ovsynch protocol decreased P4 at G1 and increased ovulatory response to G1.