8 Bovine noninfectious infertility

Noninfectious infertility

Scarring, adhesion of ovaries, blockage of oviducts, uterine lesions and adhesions, and neoplasia are examples of what kinds of things that affect fertility?

Females (because think males won't make it thru to be breeding bulls if they have fertility issues)

Are infertility problems more common in *male or female* cows?

In vitro fertilzation, embryo transfer, cloning

How do you treat hormonal or mechanical noninfectious infertility?

Surgery

How do you treat developmental noninfectious infertility?

1. absence of "detected" estrus, meaning no CL (potential poor nutrition or too young, may also be intersex) or a present CL but no cycling

2. cow is cycling but it is unobserved

Anestrus is a sign of noninfectious bovine infertility. What might be causing anestrus?

Freemartinism

This developmental problem refers to shared chorioallantoic membranes in twins where the testicles develop prior to the female causing AMH production which affects the female twin, inhibiting development of her duct system

Cows

What animal has the "freemartinism" problem with its' twins?

Chimera

This occurs when two genetically different embryos (twins) share a placenta and develop connected blood vessels, their blood stem cells mix. This leads to a single cow that is a composite of two genetic profiles, often with mixed blood types.

Infertile

More commonly, freemartin females are *fertile/infertile*

Female

No Y chromosome, no SRY, and no TDF protein means (what sex)

Male

Y chromosome, SRY gene, and TDF protein means (what sex)

Internal

Freemartin females more commonly have abnormal *internal/external* genitalia due to AMH suppressing sertoli cells

Freemartin

A female cow has a *small vulva, enlarged clitoris and tuft of hair on ventral vulva*. She has vestigial/hypoplastic ovaries with suppressed development of paramesonephric duct system and a small genital tract with short vagina. What are you thinking?

History of twin birth plus vagina is 1/3 length of normal vagina when probed

How do you diagnose freemartinism?

Females

Frequently, freemartin *males/females* present rudimentary gonads and rudimentary epididymitis

Freemartin female (enlarged clitoris, small vulva, tuft of hair on ventral vulva)

What is this?

Normal = A

Abnormal = B = freemartin female (probe test)

What is this? Which is normal?

Mummified/macerated male twin with healthy female twin (idiopathic noninfectious infertility)

What is this?

Postpartum anestrus and no CL

Cystic ovarian degeneration, metritis, high producing dairy cattle, suckle suppression in beef cows, and poor nutrition can cause what?

Ovarian follicular cysts

Cystic ovarian degeneration, ovarian cysts, and cystic ovaries are all the same name for what?

Ovarian follicular cysts

This is a thin wall fluid filled follicular structure over 25 mm that causes absence of luteal tissues, interfering with normal ovarian cyclicity

Anestrus

A characteristic sign of ovarian follicular cysts is *estrus/anestrus*

Increase

Ovarian follicular cysts *increase/decrease* the calving interval by 50 days.

Nymphomania

Besides anestrus, what apparent opposite reaction may some cows have to ovarian follicular cysts?

Higher

There is increased incidence of ovarian follicular cysts in *higher/lower* producing dairy cattle

Thecal cell

This type of cell is responsive to LH, and produces Androstenedione (a precursor to estradiol)

Granulosa cell

This type of cell is response to FSH alone in pre selection, FSH AND LH in post selection, which produces Estradiol

Spontaneous recovery, lyse it (PGF2alpha), transvaginal ultrasound, Cull

How do you treat ovarian follicular cysts

Ovarian follicular cyst

What is this?

Post service anestrus, environmental stress/*heat stress*, neoplasia

What may cause absence of detectable estrus in the absence of a CL

prepuberty (segmental aplasia, freemartin), postpartum pyometra, post service mummification/maceration

What may cause absence of estrus in the presence of a CL

Segmental aplasia (white heifer disease) = abnormal organ development

What is this?

Segmental aplasia causing "pseudo infertility" = white heifer disease

What is this?

Maceration

This is the softening or separation into parts by steeping in liquid; waste away

Mummification

What is this?

Maceration (failure to abort dead fetus, hard tissue remains)

What is this?

There is cyclicity but it is not observed = noninfectious infertility

A CL is present, but there are silent displays of estrus due to high producing dairy cattle or suckle suppresion OR there is poor heat detection. What does this mean?

Cycling females are observed but do not get pregnant = noninfectious infertility

A cow has regular interestrus intervals but there is a problem in the delivery of semen or mechanical lesions like segmental aplasia, adhesions, paraovarian cysts, or persistent hymen. What does this mean?

Uterus didelphis (noninfectious infertility mechanical lesion)

This occurs when two cervixes connect to respective uterine horn

Congential persistent hymen in heifer so vagina fills with mucus = mechanical lesion of noninfectious infertility

What is this?

The cycling female was observed in estrus, got pregnant early but failed to produce a calf

A cow has regular interestrus intervals but *early embryonic death* or is induced due to traumatic palpation or stress. What does this mean?