Monitoring of early embryonic death associated growth factors as insulin like growth factors binding proteins (ILGFBP) 1-4 and Cytokines in dairy cattle

Abstract

The current study was designed to evaluate the growth factors and cytokines as insulin like growth factors binding proteins (IGFBP 1-4), Interferon Tau (IFNT) and Interleukins 6 and 13 (IL-6, -13) concentrations which associated with early embryonic deaths (EED) and fetal death (FD) in dairy cattle. A total number of nineteen (n=90), non-pregnant crossbreed dairy cows, 40-days postpartum were included in this study. Cows were examined using ultrasonographic examination to ensure absence of any uterine affections. Five cows were excluded due to uterine affections during examination. Estrus synchronization using GnRH, PGF2α and GnRH (GPG) regimen were applied however, another 10 cows were excluded due to showing an estrus signs after the first GnRH injection. The timed artificial insemination (AI) were applied to other cows blindly at the 10th Day of the protocol. Rectal ultrasonographic examination were applied at beginning of the synchronization, then at the 9th day of the protocol (at the second injection of GnRH). For pregnancy diagnosis, ultrasonographic examination were performed at the 20, 25, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80 and 90th day after AI in all cows. Blood sampling were collected at days 0, 7, 9, 11 during synchronization then at each ultrasonographic examination post insemination. Our results revealed that thirty cows (n=30) showed endometrial thickness and some fluctuation on uterine lumen at day 20 post insemination, however only 26 cows were confirmed as pregnant but other 4 cows showed an estrus. The twenty-six (n=26) were showed endometrial thickness and some fluctuation on uterine lumen at day 25 post insemination with a percentage of 43.3% conception rate. Early Embryonic Death (EED) in one cow was monitored at day 40 postinsemination with a percentage of 0.038 % (1/26) and another cow (n=1) showed an Early Fetal Death (EFD) with a percentage 0.04 % (1/25) at the 60th day post-insemination. Samples were analyzed for progesterone (P4), IGFBP1, IGFBP4, IL-6, IL-13 and IFNT concentrations; for P4 during synchronization raise and decrease but usually under 3 ng/ ml while during pregnancy were more than 3 ng/ ml, for IGFBP1 and IGFBP4 ranged from 55-80 ng /ml and 63-99 ng/ml in pregnant cows respectively and increase over that range in cows had EED and FD, for IL-6 and IL-13 ranged from 1-3.5 ng/ml and 44-65 ng/ ml respectively and decrease under that range in cows had EED and FD and for IFNT range from 0.5-18 ng/ml and decrease under 0.5 ng/ml in cows had EED and FD.