There was a negative effect of OPU session in the
number of visualized follicles and recovered COCs
along the trial period (P < 0.05). Heat-stress did not
affect follicular recruitment, since the population of
>3 mm follicles and the number of recovered COCs
were not affected by treatment (Table 1). There was no
effect of HS on the pattern of follicular growth in Phases
I and II. However, HS increased (P < 0.05) the number
of large follicles (Table 1) and diameter of the 1st and
2nd largest follicles in Phase III (Fig. 3). Indeed, HS
increased (P < 0.05) the number of follicles >9 mm
(characterized as follicular codominance; Table 1).
Follicular codominance and increased follicular diameter
were associated with a sustained reduction in
plasma P4 for 21–28 days after cessation of HS