Follicular dynamics, luteal characteristics, and progesterone concentrations in synchronized lactating Holstein cows with high and low antral follicle counts.

We performed two experiments in high milk-producing Holstein cows. First, we evaluated the repeatability of the antral follicle count (AFC) - where all follicles were ≥2 mm in diameter - during the days of the ovulation synchronization protocol for timed artificial insemination (TAI) in dairy cows (n = 20). In the second study we investigated the follicular dynamics and Doppler ultrasonography in cows with low (≤15 follicles, n = 9) and high (≥25 follicles, n = 9) AFC, and measured progesterone (P4) concentrations during CL evaluation. In addition, the diameter of the preovulatory follicle, area of blood flow of the preovulatory follicle, CL area, and CL blood flow were compared between groups with high and low AFC. Ultrasound examinations were performed during the days of the protocol and 10 days after ovulation to assess the CL. The constancy of the AFC was analyzed by calculating the repeatability. Parametric variables were analyzed using the t-test, and nonparametric variables were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney test (P ≤ 0.05). The repeatability of the AFC on different days of the protocol was 0.98. Cows with low AFC showed a greater diameter of the preovulatory follicle (16 ± 0.3 vs. 15 ± 0.4 mm), blood flow area of the preovulatory follicle (17.3 ± 2.3 vs. 8.1 ± 3.2 mm), CL area (579.1 ± 16.9 vs. 405.8 ± 21.2 mm), area of CL perfusion (97.1 ± 9.4 vs. 68.3 ± 5.2 mm), as well as higher P4 levels (3.1 ± 0.2 vs. 2.2 ± 0.2 ng/mL). In high milk-producing Holstein cows, the AFC has high repeatability on different days of the TAI protocol, and cows with a low AFC show larger preovulatory follicles and CLs with greater perfusion, in addition to greater P4 concentrations in comparison to those cows with a high AFC.