Association between Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentration and Inflammation Markers in Serum during the Peripartum Period in Dairy Cows

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Changes in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, a fertility marker in dairy cows, during the peripartum period associated with reproductive recovery have not been fully evaluated. We investigated the relationship between changes in AMH concentration and inflammation markers in serum during the peripartum period in dairy cows. We found a relationship between changes in AMH concentration, especially reflected in the AMH ratio during the perinatal period, and the systemic inflammation status of dairy cows. Excessive inflammation during the early postpartum period may decrease AMH levels and subsequently affect the reproductive prognosis of postpartum cows. Elucidating the mechanism of perinatal AMH changes and the beneficial effects of AMH may improve reproductive efficacy in the dairy industry. ABSTRACT: The relationships between changes in anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentration and various traits, including milk somatic cell counts (SCC), were evaluated. Blood samples were collected from 43 Holstein cows 14 days before (D-14) and 10 (D10) and 28 days after (D28) parturition, and vaginal discharge score (VDS) and polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMNL) percentages were assessed in endometrial samples at D28. Cows were separated into four quartiles (Q1–Q4) based on changes in AMH concentration during the peripartum period (AMH ratio: D28/D-14). Correlations between AMH ratio and each parameter were evaluated and classified into high-AMH (Q4, 1.83 ± 0.12, n = 11) and low-AMH (Q1, 0.83 ± 0.05, n = 11) groups. The AMH ratio was positively correlated with magnesium and non-esterified fatty acids levels, and the albumin/globulin ratio at D10 and D28, but negatively correlated with serum amyloid A (SAA) at D10. SAA and γ-globulin levels were significantly higher in the low-AMH group at D28. There was no significant difference in VDS, PMNL percentage, and milk SCC between the two groups. The decreasing AMH ratio from the prepartum to the postpartum period corresponds to high inflammation biomarker levels. Whether it subsequently affects the reproductive prognosis of postpartum cows needs further investigations.