Detrimental effects of high plasma urea nitrogen levels on viability of embryos from lactating dairy cows

• Published in: Animal reproduction science Vol. 91; no. 1; pp. 1 - 10
• Main Authors: Rhoads, M.L., Rhoads, R.P., Gilbert, R.O., Toole, R., Butler, W.R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 2006
• Subjects: adverse effects; Animal Feed; Animals; antifertility effect; blood plasma; Blood Urea Nitrogen; Cattle - blood; Cattle - embryology; Cattle - physiology; Dairy cow; dairy cows; diet; Dietary Proteins - administration & dosage; Dietary Proteins - metabolism; Embryo; embryo (animal); embryo transfer; Embryo Transfer - veterinary; embryonic mortality; Female; high protein diet; Insemination, Artificial - veterinary; lactation; Lactation - physiology; oocytes; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; PUN; Random Allocation; Tissue and Organ Harvesting - methods; Tissue and Organ Harvesting - veterinary; Urea; urea nitrogen; viability; Pregnancy; PUN; Urea; Dairy cow; Embryo
• ISSN: 0378-4320; 1873-2232
• DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2005.02.009

High plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) concentrations are associated with decreased fertility in lactating dairy cows. Our objective was to evaluate the quality of embryos flushed from superovulated lactating cows having moderate or high PUN concentrations. Subsequent embryo survival was determined after transfer to recipient heifers with either low or high PUN. Lactating Holstein dairy cows ( n = 23; 50–120 days in milk) were randomly assigned to one of two diets designed to result in moderate or high PUN concentrations (15.5 ± 0.7 and 24.4 ± 1.0 mg/dl, respectively; P < 0.001) and were fed for 30 days before embryo flushing and recovery. Embryos ( n = 94) were evaluated morphologically, frozen and subsequently transferred into synchronized virgin heifers that were fed one of two diets designed to result in either low or high PUN concentrations (7.7 ± 0.9 and 25.2 ± 1.5 mg/dl, respectively; P < 0.001; 2 × 2 factorial design). The number, quality and stage of development of recovered embryos were similar for cows with moderate or high PUN. Transfer of embryos from moderate PUN donor cows resulted in a higher pregnancy rate (35%; P < 0.02) than the transfer of embryos from high PUN donor cows (11%). Pregnancy rate was not affected by either recipient diet or the interaction of donor and recipient diets ( P > 0.05). These results indicate that high PUN concentrations in lactating dairy cows decrease embryo viability through effects exerted on the oocyte or embryo before recovery from the uterus 7 days after insemination.