Influence of ipsilateral coexistence of the first wave dominant follicle and corpus luteum on ovarian dynamics and plasma sex steroid hormone concentrations in lactating dairy cows treated with human chorionic gonadotropin

We examined the effect of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment 5 days after estrus on ovarian dynamics and plasma progesterone (P(4)) and estradiol (E(2)) concentrations when the first-wave dominant follicle (DF) was ipsilateral or contralateral to the corpus luteum (CL) in lactating dairy cows. Seventy cows were divided into two groups: (1) ipsilateral group (IG; n = 37), in which the first-wave DF was ipsilateral to the CL, and (2) contralateral group (CG; n = 33), in which the first-wave DF was contralateral to the CL. IG and CG were further subdivided into two groups: non-treatment group (IG, n = 18; CG, n = 19), and hCG treatment group: administrated 1500 IU of hCG 5 days after estrus (IG, n = 19; CG, n = 14). Blood sampling and ovarian examination were performed at 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, and 13 days after estrus. Mean diameter of the first-wave DF on Day 9 tended (P = 0.067) to be larger in IG than in CG in the non-treatment group. Mean diameter of CL and plasma P(4) and E(2) concentrations did not differ between IG and CG in the non-treatment and hCG treatment groups. Accessory CL development did not differ between IG and CG in the hCG treatment group. Our findings indicate that CL development and plasma P(4) and E(2) concentrations were not affected by the existence of the first-wave DF; however, first-wave DF development was affected by the existence of a CL in the same ovary.