Hormonal and Metabolic Profiles of High-yielding Dairy Cows Prior to Ovarian Cyst formation or First Ovulation Post Partum

The present study aimed to investigate the pathogenesis of cystic ovarian disease (COD) in high-yielding dairy cows postpartum (pp). Hormonal and metabolic profiles during the first 3 weeks pp as well as during the final week prior to ovulation/cyst formation, were compared between dairy cows that developed either an ovulatory follicle (OV) or a cyst (CYST) < day 60 pp. Thirty-four lactations of 28 high-yielding (9500 kg/305 days) Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were studied. Ovaries of cows were scanned twice a week from day 10 pp on, until ovulation/cyst formation. Milk yield data, body condition scores and blood samples, for determination of oestradiol-17beta, insulin, beta-OH-butyrate and non-esterified fatty acids, were collected simultaneously. Milk samples for progesterone analysis were collected daily. Four lactations were excluded from further analysis because of irregular pp ovarian cyclicity, excluding COD. Eight lactations (26.7%) developed a cyst, while 22 lactations ovulated < days 60 pp. Ovulation and cyst formation occurred at similar times pp. Metabolic and hormonal profiles did not differ between CYST and OV lactations during the first 3 weeks pp. In the final week prior to cyst formation/ovulation, insulin concentrations were lower in CYST than in OV lactations while no differences were observed for any of the other parameters tested. In two lactations, cyst formation was preceded by suprabasal progesterone and increased oestradiol-17beta concentrations. These results suggest that cyst formation in high-yielding dairy cows pp is associated with lower insulin levels but not with other distinct hormonal and metabolic alterations. However from this study, we cannot exclude the involvement of subtle hormonal and metabolic changes in the pathogenesis of ovarian cysts. Suprabasal progesterone, and altered oestradiol-17beta concentrations, seem to play a minor role in cyst formation.