{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,3]],"date-time":"2026-10-03T16:26:52Z","timestamp":1791044812134,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":36,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,9]],"date-time":"2023-03-09T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1678320000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Agencia Nacional de Investigaci\u00f3n y Desarrollo (ANID) of Chile","award":["1190980"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1190980"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Animals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The neurotrophin beta-nerve growth factor (NGF), which is present in the semen of different mammals, elicits potent ovulatory and luteotrophic actions in llamas following systemic administration. Here, we determine if purified NGF given intramuscularly (IM) during the preovulatory stage affects the corpus luteum (CL), hormone production, endometrial gene expression, and pregnancy rate of dairy heifers. Holstein-Friesian heifers were estrus-synchronized using estradiol benzoate (EB) plus an intravaginal progesterone (P4) device (DIB). After eight days, the device was removed and cloprostenol was given IM; the next day (day 9), heifers received EB IM plus one of the following: (i) 1 mg of NGF (NGF D9 group), (ii) 1 mg of NGF 32 h after EB (NGF D10 group), or (iii) phosphate buffer saline (control group). To measure pregnancy rates, heifers were treated similarly, then artificially inseminated with sexed semen 48\u201352 h after DIB removal, then an ultrasound was conducted 30 days after insemination. The females given NGF along with EB (NGF D9) showed significantly higher luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations, larger CL vascular areas, and higher plasma P4 concentrations than the NGF D10 and control animals. Downregulation of the P4 receptor (PGR), and upregulation of both lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and Solute Carrier Family 6 member 14 (SLC6A14) endometrial genes, were detected in NGF D9 heifers. Furthermore, these heifers had a 10% higher pregnancy rate than the control group. We conclude that the higher P4 output, in response to the early NGF administration, led to the enhanced gene expression of transcripts related to uterine receptivity that may result in enhanced pregnancy rates.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani13061004","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,10]],"date-time":"2023-03-10T01:31:41Z","timestamp":1678411901000},"page":"1004","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Administration of Beta-Nerve Growth Factor during the Preovulatory Stage Improves Endocrine and Luteal Function in Dairy Heifers"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Gonzalo","family":"Gajardo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3037-2756","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luis","family":"Paiva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Agronom\u00eda e Ingenier\u00eda Forestal, Facultad de Ciencias Biol\u00f3gicas y Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cesar","family":"Ulloa-Leal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ximena","family":"Valderrama","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gerardo","family":"L\u00f3pez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4000-7632","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Albert","family":"Carrasco","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Escuela de Medicina Veterinaria, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad de Concepci\u00f3n, Chill\u00e1n 3812120, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alejandra Isabel","family":"Hidalgo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mauricio E.","family":"Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Medicina Veterinaria y Salud Publica, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Cat\u00f3lica de Temuco, Temuco 4781312, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Patricio I.","family":"Palma","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lecher\u00edas del Sur SpA, Francisco Bilbao 1860, Osorno 5310644, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Marcelo H.","family":"Ratto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Instituto de Ciencia Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia 5091000, Chile"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,9]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"15042","DOI":"10.1073\/pnas.1206273109","article-title":"The nerve of ovulation-inducing factor in semen","volume":"109","author":"Ratto","year":"2012","journal-title":"Proc. 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