Identifying research gaps regarding the influence of maternal stress on bovine female offspring’s Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations: A scoping review protocol
Date
2023-06-06
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Abstract
Introduction: Farmers consistently aim to increase cattle longevity in their herds to improve sustainability of cattle production. However, infertility or low fertility is one of the reasons for culling healthy dairy and beef cows with a negative impact on longevity. In dairy cattle, around 14.2% in Canada and 26.7% in the U.S. (CDIC, 2022; USDA, 1996) of cattle are culled due to fertility issues, with a similar percentage for beef cattle (US, 27.2%; USDA, 1999). Fertility in these animals shows a progressive decline which points to a long-term effect that could start during ovarian development (Wathes et al., 2014 ). The ovaries in cattle develop in utero (30-90 d of pregnancy) with heifers having their lifetime supply of follicles at birth (i.e., ovarian reserve, OR; Hernandez-Medrano et al., 2012). Any disruption in the development of the OR may result in fertility complications and decreased reproductive longevity (Hernandez-Medrano et al., 2012; Mossa et al., 2015; Akbarinejad et al., 2017). Maternal stress, such as thermal or nutritional, are some of those disruptions that have a long-lasting effect on offspring health and productive potential. The exact mechanisms for these effects are still elusive. Growing follicles produce the dimeric glycoprotein hormone, Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), which has been reported as a marker for the antral follicular population in cows and their reproductive potential (Alward & Bohlen, 2019). This review will identify publications that have studied the link between maternal stress and gonadal development, ultimately resulting in a breakdown of what’s known regarding the influence of maternal stress during gestation on AMH concentrations in female offspring.
Objective: The objective of this review is to identify the published literature discussing how AMH concentrations in bovine female offspring are influenced by nutritional or thermal stress experienced by the dam during gestation. The results will highlight areas of consensus and propose research approaches to fill the gaps in knowledge. The overall goal of this scoping review is to evaluate the feasibility to implement AMH as an early marker of reproductive potential and help producers improve the sustainability of their farms.
Methods: A scoping review reported according to the PRISMA scoping review extension will be carried out with a total of five databases being used for the study (CAB Abstracts, MEDLINE, BIOSIS Previews, the Web of Science, and SciELO). Concepts to be considered in the primary search include cattle, pregnancy, nutritional or thermal stress, and offspring outcomes. Article screening will consist of two stages: title and abstract, and full text. Articles will be included in the review if they discuss AMH concentrations, bovine female offspring, and are peer-reviewed academic journal articles or conference proceedings. Articles will then be excluded from the study if they are non-English or non-Spanish. The articles that meet this criterion will then be charted in an Excel spreadsheet.
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Keywords
cattle, fertility, Anti-Müllerian hormone, stress
Citation
Birkenhagen, B., Ganshorn, H., & Hernandez-Medrano, J.. (2023). Identifying research gaps regarding the influence of maternal stress on bovine female offspring’s Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations: A scoping review protocol [Protocol]. University of Calgary.