[Efficacy of vaginal progesterone inserts (CIDR) to reduce early embryonic losses in dairy cows].

UNLABELLED: The OBJECTIVE of this study was to test the efficacy of a progesterone releasing device (CIDR®, Pfizer, Germany) inserted on day (d) 20 post insemination (p.i.) to reduce embryonic losses between d 27 and 39 p.i. Furthermore, we hypothesized that CIDR® increases blood progesterone levels during the application period, but does not affect the maintenance of pregnancy after removal.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The study was conducted on a commercial dairy farm, randomly allocating 74 Holstein Friesian cows to one of two groups. These cows were non-pregnant after previous artificial insemination and treated with an Ovsynch protocol. Group 1 (n=36) received a CIDR® on d 20 p.i. (CIDR® group) while group 2 (n=38) remained untreated (control group). CIDR® was removed on d 39 p.i. Blood samples were drawn from all cows on d 20, 27, 39 and 55 p.i. for analysis of progesterone (P4) concentrations by immunoassay (ADVIA Centaur®, Siemens, Germany). Pregnancy diagnosis was conducted on d 27 p.i. with ultrasonography, and on d 39 and 55 p.i. by transrectal palpation.

RESULTS

The overall prevalence rate of early embryonic losses between d 27 and 39 p.i. was 37.1% (CIDR® group 35.3%, control group 38.9%; p=0.83). On d 39 p.i. 30.5% of all cows were pregnant and the percentage of pregnant cows did not differ between the study groups (p=0.83). Progesterone levels on d 20 p.i. did not differ among cows which were pregnant on d 39 p.i. (p=0.57). On d 27 p.i. progesterone levels in pregnant cows were higher in the CIDR® group (16.2 ± 9.9 ng/ml) compared to the control group (11.2 ± 3.4 ng/ml; p=0.04). Progesterone concentrations were lower on d 39 p.i., but still differed between study groups (p=0.05). After removal of CIDR®, blood progesterone levels did not differ between pregnant cows of both study groups on d 55 p.i. (p=0.36).

CONCLUSION

The application of a progesterone releasing device led to increased blood progesterone levels during the application period, but did not affect maintenance of pregnancy after its removal.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Supplementation with progesterone at d 20 p.i. does not decrease early embryonic losses between d 27 and 39 p.i. or increase the number of cows pregnant on d 39 p.i.