New publication: Alpine and lowland grazing differentially alter the reproductive tract redox milieu and amino acid composition in cattle

An alpine environment is unique due to pasture biodiversity, with an abundant content of natural antioxidant polyphenols. In this study investigated the effects of lowland and alpine grazing on the oviduct and uterine tissue redox status and amino acid concentrations in plasma and reproductive fluids. In the first experiment, heifers grazed on lowland (H-LOW) and on alpine (H-ALP) pastures. In the second experiment, heifers grazed on the same lowland (HS-LOW) and on a different alpine (HS-ALP) pasture. Our findings indicated that, the abundance of mRNA transcripts for antioxidant enzymes in the oviduct (glutathione S-transferase alpha 2, glutathione synthetase (GSS)) and the endometrium (catalase, glutathione-disulfide reductase, GSS) was significantly less, and for glutathione peroxidase 4 in the endometrium was significantly greater in the H-LOW than in the H-ALP group. The abundance of mRNA transcript for catalase was significantly less in the endometrium in the H-LOW than in the H-ALP group. Catalase and NAD(P)H quinone dehydrogenase 1 concentrations in the oviduct were significantly greater in the HS-LOW than in the HS-ALP group. Of 32 amino acids analysed, there were significant differences in concentrations in the H-LOW and H-ALP group of 13, seven and 15 in plasma, oviduct and uterine fluids, respectively. Comparing the HS-LOW to the HS-ALP groups, there were 13, one and three amino acids in the plasma, oviduct and uterine fluids, respectively, that were differentially abundant. We concluded that the grazing systems had some effect on the redox status and amino acid patterns in reproductive tissues.

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Daniel Chiumia, Anna-Katharina Hankele, Barbara Drews, Tobias Zehnder, Joel Berard, Pieter Giesbertz, Susanne E. Ulbrich, Katrin Giller. Alpine and lowland grazing differentially alter the reproductive tract redox milieu and amino acid composition in cattle. Animal Reproduction Science, Volume 213, 106268, 2019.

external pageDOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.106268call_made