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Estrogenic Activity in Bovine Luteal Cyst Fluid

Department of Animal Husbandry, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York

ABSTRACT

Recent studies indicate that cystic corpora lutea are a possible cause of bovine infertility. McEntee (2) reported a relatively high frequency of cystic corpora lutea in nonpregnant cattle observed at a slaughterhouse, and luteal cysts occurred much more frequently than follicular cysts. Pregnant cows did not possess any luteal cysts. Daily oxytocin injections, uterine dilatation, and progesterone injections can experimentally produce cystic corpora lutea (1, 6, 7). Long before our current concepts of cystic corpora lutea, Parkes and Bellerby (3) demonstrated estrogenic activity in bovine luteal cyst fluid obtained from a slaughterhouse.

The present experiment involved nonsurgical collection of bovine luteal cyst fluid from 14 cows and its assay for estrogenic activity. Ovulation, a prerequisite for a cystic corpus luteum, was detected by rectal palpation of most animals at the estrus prior to fluid collection. According to this prerequisite, a luteal cyst is developmentally, if not morphologically, distinct from a luteinized follicular cyst.