Effect of inducing accessory corpus luteum formation with gonadotropin-releasing hormone or human chorionic gonadotropin on the day of embryo transfer on fertility of recipient dairy heifers and lactating cows

The objective was to determine the effect of inducing an accessory corpus luteum (CL) using GnRH or human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the day of in vitro-produced (IVP) embryo transfer (ET) on pregnancy per ET (P/ET) and calving/ET in dairy heifers and lactating cows. Dairy heifers (11–15 mo of age; n = 1,547) and lactating cows (n = 1,480) detected in estrus by tail chalk (d 0) were used as recipients. Before ET, the presence of a CL was evaluated by transrectal palpation from d 6 to 9 of the estrous cycle. Animals with a CL were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 treatments immediately before ET: control (no treatment; n = 1,009), GnRH (86 µg of GnRH; n = 1,085) and hCG (2,500 IU; n = 1,069). Embryos were implanted in the uterine horn ipsilateral to the ovary with a CL (fresh IVP embryos, n = 2,544; vitrified IVP embryos n = 545; slow-freezing IVP embryos, n = 74). Pregnancy diagnosis was performed on d 37 ± 3 of gestation by transrectal palpation. Pregnancy loss data and calving records were collected from the dairy farm management software. Treatment did not affect P/ET, calving/ET, or pregnancy loss either overall or within parity. When treatments inducing CL formation were combined (GnRH + hCG), heifers tended to have greater P/ET than controls (67.7 vs. 63.5%, respectively). Yet, calving/ET were similar. Response variables were also analyzed within embryo type and parity. For heifers receiving stage 6 (blastocyst) fresh IVP embryos, hCG had greater P/ET than controls (74.5 vs. 51.1%, respectively). In addition, GnRH tended to have greater P/ET than controls (67.8 vs. 51.2%, respectively). However, calving/ET in heifers receiving blastocyst fresh IVP embryos was similar among treatments. When only stage 7 (expanded blastocyst) fresh IVP embryos were considered, primiparous GnRH cows had greater P/ET (59.3 vs. 47.1%) and calving/ET (48.6 vs. 38.1%) than hCG. Moreover, hCG showed decreased calving/ET compared with controls in primiparous cows transferred with expanded blastocyst fresh IVP embryos. In summary, the effects of hCG or GnRH at ET on P/ET and calving/ET were inconsistent according to different embryo characteristics (e.g., embryo stage) and parity of recipients. Furthermore, treatment did not improve the overall fertility outcomes for recipient animals receiving IVP embryos.