**1. Introduction**

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72 Success in Artificial Insemination - Quality of Semen and Diagnostics Employed

The bulk of milk production in the world is supplied from the cows. Besides the fact that genetic is the most important factor in a cow's milk productivity; feeding and environmental factors are also considered as crucial factors. Because of these points, calving and increasing reproductive performance has become the most fundamental issue for milk industry. For the animal breeders both having milk and obtaining a calf throughout a year is indispensa‐ ble. To accomplish this, there should not be a problem in a herd from the aspect of repro‐ duction. But many factors like diseases and environmental agents in cows in post partum period cause decrease in fertility. Among the reasons of reduction in fertility; there are fac‐ tors like indetermination of estrus in time or detection of estrus in wrong time, premature estrus, subestrus, anestrus, delaying of ovulation, failure of ovulation and fertilization, inad‐ equacy of communication between embryo and uterus, poor body condition score, heat stress, dystocia, retained placenta, delayed uterine involution, metritis, endometritis, and other illnesses. Although a great deal of studies has been done to lower the infertility caused by these factors, this problem has not been eradicated completely up to these days [1-6].

The reasons mentioned above are associated with female animals and environmental condi‐ tions. Together with this, fertility is dependent not only to the female but also to the male. There should not be a problem in male's genital organs and the male must have the ability to produce sperms to fertilize the ovum. If artificial insemination is carried out, morphologic structures, numbers, motilities of the sperms should be normal [7-10].

Progestagens and Prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2α) have been used to prevent the disorders related to estrus. But observation of estrus is necessary in both administrations. For this rea‐ son researchers have dealt with developing protocols without estrus observation. Ovula‐ tions have been synchronized with a method developed in Wisconsin University, and this

© 2013 Paksoy and Daş; licensee InTech. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2013 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

method was named as Ovsynch. Later, this method has been modified by the combined use of both progestagens and prostaglandins and many modified ovsynch protocols have been derived [11-12].

Released estrogen both causes physiological changes in genital canal and emergence of overt estrus signs. Ovulation in cows takes place 24 to 30 hours after the peak of LH. Ovulat‐ ed follicle undergoes structural and functional change with the effect of LH and metamor‐ phoses to corpus luteum. Developing corpus luteum releases progesterone, and so, it makes a negative feedback to hypothalamus and by hindering FSH and LH release it also follicular activities in ovaries. In the meantime, by inhibiting contractions of uterus and stimulating the glands in endometrium, it causes the liquid so called uterus milk to be released. As a result it prepares a suitable ambient and provides the continuation of gestation [5, 22, 25-28]. If there is not a live embryo in uterus in the 16th -18th days of cycle, PGF2α is synthesized, and causes the corpus luteum's regression and decreases the progesterone secretion. De‐ crease in progesterone causes LH peak and this increase in LH results in increase of estra‐ diol level. While luteolysis is progressing, a new preovulatory follicle develops and cycle resumes. If the animal gets pregnant, PGF2α secretion is blocked and progesterone level

Nonsteroid Anti-Inflammatory Drugs to Improve Fertility in Cows

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/51910

75

Gestation is a process which starts with fertilisation and completed with birth of the young. Fertilization is the name given to the event of forming a diploid chromosome cell from two

Fertilization takes place in oviduct ampulla in domestic mammals. It happens approximate‐

Zygote undergoes a set of mitotic division which is called "segmentation". With the first segmentation division, blastomere which is a two cell embryo forms. When the blastomeres proliferate in countless numbers it is called morula. Then, water diffusion starts in morula and a liquid filled blank which is called blastocele forms. When this blank forms, embryo is

When blastocyte undergoes a mitotic division, liquid continues to accumulate in the blasto‐ cele and for this reason pressure inside the embryo increases. Proteolytic enzymes and blas‐ tocyte contraction and relaxation movements cause the tear of zona pelucida. When there is a little tear in zona pellucida, blastocyte goes out. This prolapsus which is called as hatching takes place between 9th and 11th days in cows. After this stage, embryo lives freely in ute‐

15th to 17th days of the gestation is considered as the critical period. Embryonic deaths taking place in this stage causes dramatic economic losses. During this period, unless the signal to pre‐ vent the production of PGF2α is sent, endometrial luteolytic PGF2α release will be realized. For

stays in the level enough for sustain the gestation [16, 24, 25, 27].

haploid chromosome cells by entering of spermatozoon into oocyte [29].

rus until implantation and feeds with uterus milk [14, 24, 30, 32].

ly in 12 hours. In the end, zygote forms [30-31].

**4. Early embryonic period**

called as blastocyte [30, 32].

**3. Fertilisation**

Nowadays, one of the methods used by the veterinarians to increase the percentage of preg‐ nancy in cows is GnRH and hCG application just before the artificial insemination, together with the insemination or 1st – 15th days after insemination because hormonal balance is very crucial in early embryonic period. Nearly, 25% of cattle embryos die within the first three weeks of pregnancy [4, 13-15]. In this period, continuation of progesterone release by corpus luteum is vital for the life of embryo [16]. For this reason, researchers have strived to keep the progesterone level sufficient enough in early pregnancy by administering GnRH and hCG in different days of estrus cycle. hCG application is done to animals during the insemi‐ nation or luteal period in order to provide the rupture of Graafian follicle, to abolish func‐ tional insufficiencies of corpus luteum and to rise the endogenous progesterone production to the most effective level, and as a result of these applications it has been stated that preg‐ nancy rate has increased in some studies [17-18]. In the same way, with the GnRH applica‐ tion before, during and post insemination in different days, it has been notified that pregnancy rate has been increased by means of stimulating folliculogenesis, ovulation and luteal structures [19-21].

The latest method to regulate maternal and fetal relation, to retard or inhibit luteolysis, to maintain high progesterone levels and as a result; to enhance pregnancy rate is application of Nonsteroid Anti-inflammatory Drugs (NSAID) in critical days of pregnancy. Estrus cy‐ cle's hormonal mechanism should be very well known for the good management of this process.
