Effect of repeated administration of oxytocin during diestrus on duration of function of corpora lutea in mares

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether IM administration of exogenous oxytocin twice daily on days 7 to 14 after ovulation blocks luteolysis and causes prolonged function of corpora lutea (CL) in mares. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 12 mares. PROCEDURES: Beginning on the day of ovulation (day 0), jugular blood samples were collected every other day until day 40 for determination of progesterone concentration. On day 7, mares (n = 6/group) were treated with saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (control group) or oxytocin. Beginning on day 7, control mares received 3 mL of sterile saline solution every 12 hours, IM, and oxytocin-treated mares received 60 units of oxytocin every 12 hours, IM, through day 14. Mares were considered to have prolonged CL function if progesterone concentration remained > 1.0 ng/mL continuously through day 30. RESULTS: The proportion of mares with prolonged CL function was significantly higher in the oxytocin-treated group (6/6), compared with the control group (0/6). All control mares underwent luteolysis by day 16, at which time their progesterone concentrations were < 1.0 ng/mL. In contrast, all 6 oxytocin-treated mares maintained progesterone concentrations > 1.0 ng/mL continuously through day 30. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: IM administration of 60 units of oxytocin twice daily on days 7 to 14 after ovulation was an efficacious method of inhibiting luteolysis and extending CL function in mares. Disrupting luteolysis by administering exogenous oxytocin during diestrus appears to be a plausible and practical method of long-term suppression of estrus in mares.     

Effects of repeated hCG injections on reproductive efficiency in mares

Thirty reproductively sound mares were divided into treatment and control groups. In the treatment group, consisting of 14 mares, 2500 I.U. of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was administered intravenously during estrus, in the presence of a 35 mm follicle over five successive cycles in 1987, and at least two cycles in 1988. Beginning with the second cycle of treatment in 1988, these mares were bred to a fertile stallion. The control group, consisting of 16 mares, was followed for two to five cycles in either the 1987 or 1988 season and six of these mares were bred to fertile stallions. Throughout the study period, blood was collected from the mares in the treatment group for analysis of anti-hCG antibodies and cross reactivity of the antibody to purified equine lutenizing hormone (eLH) and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG).In 1987, after the first three injections of hCG, mean duration of estrus in treated mares tended to be shorter than in control mares (P<.10). After all five hCG injections in 1987, mean ovulation time for treated mares was shorter than in control mares (P<0.01). However, after two to five hCG injections in 1987, seven treated mares (50%) had some individual ovulation times that did not differ from the control mares.Initially, following the first three injections of hCG in 1988, mean duration of estrus tended to be shorter (P<0.1) in treated mares compared to control mares. A reduction in mean ovulation time was observed after the first two hCG injections of 1988 (P<0.01). However, after one to four hCG injections in 1988, eight treated mares (57.1%) had some individual ovulation times that did not differ from controls.In 1987, all 14 treated mares developed significant levels of antibodies to hCG after one to four injections, and again in 1988, were positive for anti-hCG antibodies after one to three injections. However, no correlation was observed between magnitude of the immune response and duration of ovulation time or pregnancy rate. In cross reactivity studies, no significant binding of plasma anti-hCG antibodies to either eLH or eCG was observed in vitro.Overall, pregnancy and foaling rates of treated (85.7%) and control mares (83.3%) did not differ. Additionally, no difference was observed in number of inseminations per estrus between treated and control mares. In this study, with successive injections of hCG, the expected shortened time to ovulation was not elicited consistently in all mares. However, mares continued to ovulate, conceive and foal in the presence of significant levels of anti-hCG antibodies.     

Evaluation of Injectable Sustained Release Progestin Formulations for Suppression of Estrus and Ovulation in Mares

Thirty-one mares were used in an experiment to evaluate the effectiveness of three sustained-release injectable formulations of altrenogest and one formulation of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) for long-term suppression of estrus and ovulation. Luteolysis was induced by injection of prostaglandin-F_2α (Lutalyse) on day 0 (6th day after the previous ovulation) and was immediately followed by treatment with 1) no injection (controls; n = 7), 2) 1.5 mL of an altrenogest solution in sustained-release vehicle (LA 150, 1.5 mL; 225 mg altrenogest; n = 6), 3) 3 mL (450 mg altrenogest) of the same solution (n = 6), 4) 500 mg altrenogest in lactide-glycolide microparticles suspended in 7-mL vehicle (MP 500; n = 6), or 5) 1.0 g MPA as a 5-mL suspension. Mares were checked for estrus daily, and their ovaries scanned every other day until a 25-mm or greater follicle was detected, after which they were scanned daily. Control mares returned to estrus an average of 3.9 days after Lutalyse administration; all the single-injection altrenogest formulations increased (P < .05) the days to return to estrus, with the greatest increase occurring in mares receiving MP 500. Return to estrus was not affected by MPA treatment. Time of ovulation was determined by serial ultrasound scans and confirmed by daily plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) and progesterone concentrations. Control mares ovulated an average of 8.8 days after Lutalyse administration. Treatment with 1.5 or 3 mL of LA 150 increased (P < .05) the mean days to ovulation to 16.5 and 21.2 days, respectively; MP 500 increased (P < .05) the days to ovulation to 33.5 days. Administration of MPA did not affect (P > .1) days to ovulation relative to control mares. The MP 500 treatment provided long-term suppression of estrus and ovulation and could prove useful for that purpose. Treatment with the LA 150 solutions provided shorter-term suppression, and a relatively tight grouping of the individual mares around the mean days to ovulation; these one-shot formulations could be useful for synchronizing ovulation in cyclic mares and inducing normal estrous cyclicity in vernal transitional mares exhibiting erratic, anovulatory estrous periods.     

Prolonged interovulatory interval and hormonal changes in mares following the use of Ovuplant™ to hasten ovulation

In its first year of commercial availability in the United States, reports from the field indicated that Ovuplant™ (a deslorelin-containing slow-release implant for hastening ovulation in mares) was associated with a delayed return to estrus in mares not becoming pregnant. Supposedly this effect was particularly prevalent in mares subsequently administered PGF_2α to cause luteal regression after embryo collection. The present experiment was conducted 1) to determine if the field observations were repeatable under controlled experimental conditions, and 2) to gather endocrine data that might yield information on the underlying cause(s) of this observation. Twenty-five light horse mares were used. Ovaries of each mare were examined by transrectal ultrasonography daily during estrus until ovulation. Once a follicle >30 mm was detected, the mare received either Ovuplant (treated group; N = 13) at the recommended dosage or a sham injection (controls; N = 12); treatments were administered in a manner to ensure that they were unknown to personnel involved with data collection. On day 7 after ovulation, each mare received a luteolytic injection of PGF_2ð. Mares were examined every other day until return to estrus or development of a 30 mm follicle, at which time daily examination was performed until ovulation. Jugular blood samples were collected daily. Two mares receiving Ovuplant did not return to estrus within 30 days and their data were not included in the statistical analyses; in contrast, no control mare exhibited such an extended interovulatory interval. For all other mares receiving Ovuplant, the interval between the first and second ovulations was longer (P = .0001) than that of control mares by an average of 6.2 days. In addition, plasma LH concentrations were lower (P <.05) in the treated mares on days 0 through 4, 9, 11, 18, and 19 after the first ovulation. Plasma FSH concentrations were also lower (P = .017) in treated mares from days 4 to 11 and on days 6 and 5 prior to the second ovulation (P = .005). Differences in progesterone and estradiol were observed but were less consistent than for LH and FSH. Mares receiving Ovuplant had fewer small (P =.026), medium (P = .003) and large (P = .045) follicles prior to the second ovulation. In conclusion, Ovuplant treatment at the recommended dosage decreased follicular activity after ovulation and increased the interovulatory interval in mares short-cycled with PGF_2ð. These effects appear to be mediated by a hyposecretion of LH and(or) FSH.     

Efficacy of Acupuncture Sites for Delivery of Agents to Control Estrus and Ovulation in Mares

This study was designed to determine if prostaglandin F₂α (PGF₂α) when administered on d 6 post-ovulation in a low dose in the lumbosacral space (LSS) would induce luteolysis while minimizing side effects usually associated with intramuscular administration of this analogue in mares. A second objective was to determine if human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) injected into the LSS would reduce time to ovulation in the mare. Ten normally cycling mares served as their own controls in a crossover design, receiving intramuscular injections of PGF₂α(10 mg), intravenous injections of hCG (3000 IU) and injections of PGF and hCG at the acupuncture site (2 mg and 3000 IU, respectively), as well as sham injections of saline. Beginning 12 h after injection, mean progesterone concentrations were less (P<0.05) in PGF₂α-treated mares than in mares receiving saline. Moreover, progesterone concentrations were similar (P<0.001) between both groups of mares receiving PGF₂α. In addition, there was no difference (P>0.1) between mares receiving the acupuncture injection of PGF₂α and the intramuscular injection in days to ovulation. However, duration and severity of side effects associated with PGF₂α administration were dramatically decreased (P<0.01) when PGF₂α was delivered to the acupuncture site compared to intramuscular delivery. The time to ovulation was similar (P>0.1) for mares receiving shams, or hCG. These data indicate that delivery of 2 mg of PGF₂α in the LSS induces luteolysis and reduces the sweating and muscle cramping associated with PGF₂α administration. There was no advantage to the delivery of hCG in the LSS.     

Attempts at Superovulation of Mares With Porcine Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Recombinant Equine Follicle Stimulating Hormone

Attempts to superovulate mares have been disappointing and expensive. Conflicting data exist on the effectiveness of porcine follicle stimulating hormone (pFSH) as a superovulatory treatment for horses. Recently, a recombinant equine FSH (reFSH) has become available with covalently linked alpha and beta subunits, which results in a longer half-life than endogenous FSH. The purpose of this study was to compare doses of pFSH and reFSH for superovulating mares. Twenty-nine mares received injections of 25, 50, 100, or 150 mg pFSH or 0.5 mg reFSH 2 times per day. Mares were used up to three times, with their second reproductive cycle serving as an untreated control. All treated mares were administered cloprostenol on the second day of treatment and given 2,500 IU of human chorionic gonadotropin 24 to 38 hours after the majority of large follicles were >30 mm. Mares with untreated control cycles also received cloprostenol, but deslorelin was used to induce ovulation. No response from superstimulation treatments differed (P > .1) from those of controls; mean ovulations per cycle ranged from 0.85 to 1.31; mean embryo recovery rates ranged from 0.66 to 1.08. Two of the eight mares treated with reFSH failed to ovulate. Porcine FSH was ineffective at inducing multiple ovulations at any dose. Although previous studies of reFSH yielded high ovulation rates, further research is needed to establish optimal protocols and to determine the cause of failed ovulations.     

Luteoprotective Role of Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin (eCG) During Pregnancy in the Mare

The effects of repeated cloprostenol administration were compared in mares impregnated by horses and mares impregnated by donkeys in order to assess the role of eCG on the development of pregnancy‐associated resistance to the luteolytic and abortifacient effects of PGF2α. Eleven mares impregnated by donkey (mule pregnancy) and 9 mares impregnated by horse (horse pregnancy) were used. Six mares with mule pregnancy and four with horse pregnancy were injected with cloprostenol (0.25 mg) when they were between day 65 and day 75 of pregnancy, and the treatment was repeated 48, 72 and 96 h latter. The rest of the mares remained as controls. Concentrations of eCG were 10 times higher (p < 0.001) in mares impregnated by horses than in mares impregnated by donkeys, and they were not affected by cloprostenol treatment. Luteolysis was completed 30 h after the first cloprostenol injection in mule pregnancies, while mares with horse pregnancies required 96 h and three cloprostenol injections to complete luteolysis. Regression analysis revealed significant associations between eCG concentrations at time 0 and the time required for completion of luteolysis (p < 0.001), foetal death (p < 0.01) and foetal expulsion (p < 0.05). It is concluded that high eCG concentrations in mares impregnated by horses protect the corpora lutea of pregnancy against the luteolytic effects of PGF2α. Low eCG concentrations in mares carrying mule foetuses afford them less protection against the luteolytic effect of PGF2α, and this may be a cause of the increased foetal mortality that occurs between days 60 and 90 of pregnancy in these mares.     

Effect of human chorionic gonadotropin on preovulatory luteinizing hormone surge and ovarian hormone secretion in gilts

The influence of varying doses of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, estradiol-17 beta (E2) and progesterone (P4) was studied in synchronized gilts. Altrenogest (AT) was fed (15 mg X head-1 X d-1) to 24 cyclic gilts for 14 d. Pregnant mares serum gonadotropin (PMSG; 750 IU) was given im on the last day of AT feeding. The gilts were then assigned to one of four groups (n = 6): saline (I), 500 IU hCG (II), 1,000 IU hCG (III) and 1,500 IU hCG (IV). Human chorionic gonadotropin or saline was injected im 72 h after PMSG. No differences in ovulation rate or time from last feeding of AT to occurrence of estrus were observed. All gilts in Groups I and II expressed a preovulatory LH surge compared with only four of six and three of six in Groups III and IV, respectively. All groups treated with hCG showed a rapid drop (P less than .01) in plasma levels of E2 11, 17, 23 h after hCG injection when compared with the control group (35 h). The hCG-treated gilts exhibited elevated P4 concentrations 12 h earlier than the control group (3.1 +/- .5, 3.4 +/- .72, 3.1 +/- .10 ng/ml in groups II, III and IV at 60 h post-hCG vs .9 +/- .08 ng/ml in group I; P less than .05). These studies demonstrate that injections of ovulatory doses of hCG (500 to 1,500 IU) had three distinct effects on events concomitant with occurrence of estrus in gilts: decreased secretion of E2 immediately after hCG administration, failure to observe a preovulatory LH surge in some treated animals and earlier production of P4 by newly developed corpora lutea.     

Efficacy of Long-Acting Formulations of Estradiol or Progesterone Plus Estradiol on Estrous Synchronization in Broodmares

A preliminary trial was performed to evaluate the ability of sustained release preparations of estradiol-17β or progesterone plus estradiol-17β to synchronize estrus in cyclic mares. Group 1 mares were treated with a 50 mg intramuscular (IM) injection of sustained release estradiol-17β, while group 2 mares were treated with estradiol plus 1.5 g of sustained release progesterone. All mares received an IM injection of 10 mg of prostaglandin-F₂α (PGF₂α) 10 days after steroid treatment. Mares were examined by transrectal ultrasonography on Days 1 and 10 of treatment and then at ≤2 day intervals to monitor follicle size. Once a follicle ≥30 mm diameter and uterine edema were detected, 0.5 mg of the GnRH analog histrelin was administered IM. Mares were examined daily thereafter to detect ovulation. Group 1 mares did not exhibit ovulation synchrony (ovulations occurred 12-22 days after steroid treatment), whereas ovulation synchrony was satisfactory in group 2 mares (interval to ovulation being 20.4 ± 1.5 days, range 17-22 days). Using sustained release preparations of progesterone plus estradiol-17β, with PGF₂α administered on Day 10, could eliminate the need for daily injections of steroid preparations in oil when synchronizing estrus and ovulation.     

Effect of exogenous progesterone administration on luteal sensitivity to PGF during the early development of the corpus luteum in mares and cows

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of exogenous progesterone administration at ovulation and during the early development of the CL, on its future sensitivity to a single administration of PGF2a in mares and cows. Horse Retrospective reproductive data from an equine clinic in the UK during three breeding seasons were used. Mares were divided into: control group, cycles with single ovulations; double ovulation group cycles with asynchronous double ovulations; and PRID group: cycles with single ovulations and treatment with intravaginal progesterone device (CIDR) immediately after the ovulation. All mares were treated with d‐cloprostenol (PGF) at either: (i) 88 hr; (ii) 96 hr; (iii) 104 hr; or (iv) 112 hr after the last ovulation. Cattle A total of nine non‐lactating Holstein cows were used. All cows were administered PGF14 d apart and allocated to one of two groups control group GnRH was administered 56 hr after the second PGF administration. CIDR group CIDR was inserted at the same time of GnRH administration. All cows were administered PGF at 120 hr post‐ovulation. The complete luteolysis rate of mares with double ovulation (66.7%) and those treated with exogenous progesterone (68.4%) was significantly higher than the rate of mares with single ovulation (35.6%) at 104 hr. In the cow, however, the treatment with CIDR did not increase the luteolytic response in cows treated at 120 hr post‐ovulation. In conclusion, the degree of complete luteolysis can be influenced by increasing the concentration of progesterone during the early luteal development in mares.     

Plasma progesterone concentrations in pregnant and non-pregnant llamas (Lama glama)

Female llamas ovulate in response to copulation, and progesterone secretion by the corpus luteum indicates recent ovulation (mating) and, or, pregnancy. The plasma progesterone concentration was 0.9 to 1.4 ng/ml in five non-pregnant llamas and 7.4 to 9.2 ng/ml in three llamas in the last month of pregnancy. After ovulation had been induced in nine of 10 llamas by a single intramuscular injection of 500 or 750 iu of human chorionic gonadotrophin, the plasma progesterone concentration increased after two days from 0.5 to 1.2 ng/ml to 4.6 to 10.3 ng/ml after six to nine days and returned to basal values after 10 to 13 days, reflecting the life-span of a corpus luteum in the absence of conception. After a male llama had been introduced into a group of 13 females, 10 matings which resulted in eight conceptions occurred in the first 11 days, and 11 of the llamas became pregnant. The llamas' progesterone concentrations increased after mating and remained high if conception had occurred: 6 to 12 ng/ml in months one to four, and 5 to 9 ng/ml in months five to nine of the 11-month gestation. Two of the 13 llamas had high concentrations of progesterone although they did not become pregnant.     

Effect of purified equine follicle-stimulating hormone on follicular development and ovulation in transitional mares

Horse owners want to have their mares bred as early as possible in the breeding season after February 1. Numerous medical treatments, such as progesterone, dopamine antagonists, and gonadotropin-releasing hormone have been administered to anestrous or transitional mares in an attempt to induce follicular development. Some of these treatments are ineffective or impractical, so there is a need in the horse industry to develop alternative techniques to stimulate follicular development and ovulation early in the breeding season. Twenty transitional mares were assigned to one of two treatment groups. Mares in group 1 (n = 10) served as untreated controls, and mares in group 2 (n = 10) were administered 12.5 mg of purified equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH) (Bioniche Animal Health USA, Inc., Athens, Ga) intramuscularly twice daily for a maximum of 15 consecutive days. Mares were considered to be in transition when the diameter of the largest follicle was ≥25 mm. Once one or more follicles >35 mm were detected, eFSH treatment was discontinued and human chorionic gonadotropin was administered intravenously. The percentage of mares ovulating during the 15-day observation period was compared by means of chi-square analysis. The interval to ovulation and the number of ovulations per mare were compared between the two groups by Student t test. In 8 of 10 mares treated with eFSH follicles developed and ovulation occurred during the 15-day observation period, compared with 0 of 10 control mares. Interval from onset of treatment to ovulation was 7.6 ± 2.4 days for these eight mares. The eight mares were treated for an average of 5.2 ± 1.3 days with eFSH. Thus, the eFSH treatment was effective in advancing the first ovulation of the year in transitional mares.     

Clinical and Luteolytic Effects of Fenprostalene (A Prostaglandin F(2)alpha Analogue) in Mares

A study was carried out to determine the luteolytic effect of fenprostalene, a prostaglandin F₂α analogue, in mares Ten mares, that included seven cyclic mares, lactating mares and a pregnant mare were used in two experiments. In the first experiment, seven mares were treated subcutaneously with 250 μg fenprostalene and in the second experiment ten mares, including the seven mares used in the first experiment, were treated with fenprostalene and artificially inseminated during the induced estrus. Fenprostalene caused luteolysis in the normal cycling mares and the pregnant mare. Mares showed estrus within one to five days after treatment. Six of the ten mares conceived during the induced estrus and a further two conceived during the next estrus. The compound produced a side effect consisting of a small, raised, sometimes painful skin swelling at the injection site, which lasted for one to two days.     

Evaluation of progesterone deficiency as a cause of fetal death in mares with experimentally induced endotoxemia

The role of decreased luteal activity in embryonic loss after induced endotoxemia was studied in mares 21 to 35 days pregnant. Fourteen pregnant mares were treated daily with 44 mg of altrenogest to compensate for the loss of endogenous progesterone secretion caused by prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) synthesis and release following intravenous administration of Salmonella typhimurium endotoxin. Altrenogest was administered daily from the day of endotoxin injection until day 40 of gestation (group 1; n = 7), until day 70 (group 2; n = 5), or until day 50 (group 3; n = 2). In all mares, secretion of PGF2 alpha, as determined by the plasma 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGF2 alpha concentrations, followed a biphasic pattern, with an initial peak at 30 minutes followed by a second, larger peak at 105 minutes after endotoxin injection. Plasma progesterone concentrations decreased in all mares to values less than 1 ng/ml within 24 hours after endotoxin injection. In group 1, progesterone concentrations for all mares were less than 1 ng/ml until the final day of altrenogest treatment. In 6 of 7 mares in group 1, the fetuses died within 4 days after the end of treatment, with progesterone concentrations less than 1 ng/ml at that time. In the mare that remained pregnant after the end of treatment, plasma progesterone concentration was 1.6 ng/ml on day 41 and increased to 4.4 ng/ml on day 44. In group 2, all mares remained pregnant, even though plasma progesterone concentrations were less than 1 ng/ml in 4 of 5 mares from the day after endotoxin injection until after the end of altrenogest treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Estrous and ovulatory responses following cervical artificial insemination in Thai-native goats given a new or once-used controlled internal drug release with human chorionic gonadotropin

The study was conducted to compare estrous rate, ovulatory response, plasma progesterone concentrations, and conception rate following cervical artificial insemination in goats given a new or once-used controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Fifty-six Thai-native goats with the average age and body weight of 11 months and 17.3 kg received a 14-day treatment with a new CIDR device (Eazi-Breed^TMCIDR®, Pfizer, NY, USA) or a once-used CIDR device. All goats received a 300-IU injection of hCG (Chorulon®, Intervet International B.V., New Zealand) at the day of CIDR removal to induce ovulation. All goats displaying signs of Estrous behavior were artificially inseminated at 12 h after the onset of estrus with frozen semen. No differences in percentage of estrus and ovulation rates were observed; however, goats that received once-used CIDR devices exhibited shorter (P?P?>?0.05) between treatments during CIDR device insertion and at the time of CIDR removal except on day 4. No significant differences were found in overall conception rates between the treatments. This study indicates that the once-used CIDR device with hCG could be applied to synchronize the estrus and ovulation in small-size Thai-native goats without negative effects on Estrous behavior, ovulatory response, and plasma P4 concentration.     

Cloprostenol in Equine Reproductive Practice: Something More Than a Luteolytic Drug

Prostaglandin F_2α and its analogues (PGF) are widely used in equine reproductive practice. The interval from PGF treatment to ovulation (ITO) varies greatly with a range from 2 to 16 days. Clinical observation suggests that mares mated and ovulated soon after PGF treatment may have poor fertility. Reproductive records of 329 cyclic Thoroughbred mares were analysed retrospectively. The following parameters were analysed: (i) use of cloprostenol; (ii) ITO and (iii) number of ovulations per cycle. According to these parameters, mares were classified into four groups. (i) mares with spontaneous ovulations, n = 57; (ii) mares induced with cloprostenol and ITO = 4–7 days, n = 77; (iii) ITO = 8–10 days, n = 89 and (iv) ITO = ≥11 days, n = 106. Differences in pregnancy (PR) and multiple ovulation (MO) rates among groups were tested using chi‐squared test. PR rates for groups 1–4 were: 73.7%, 46.7%, 64% and 71.7% respectively (p < 0.05). Groups 1 and 2 had lower (p < 0.05) MO rate (24.6% and 20.8%) than groups 3 and 4 (40.4% and 44.3%). It appears that ovulation soon after PGF‐induced luteolysis is detrimental to PR rates. It was found highly significant that in cloprostenol‐treated mares, the MO rate was enhanced without subsequent increase in multiple pregnancies.     

Termination of pseudopregnancy by administration of prostaglandin F2alpha and termination of early pregnancy by administration of prostaglandin F2alpha or colchicine or by removal of embryo in mares.

At day 24 of gestation, pregnant mares were allotted to 1 of 5 treatment groups (3 to 5 mares/group): group A--nontreated controls; group B--intraembryonic injection of 4 mg of colchicine on day 24; group C--removal of embryo on day 24; group D--subcutaneous injection of 1.25 mg of prostaglandin F2alpha (PGF2alpha) on day 32; and group E--removal of embryo on day 24 and subcutaneous injection of PGF2alpha on day 32. In all mares treated with colchicine (group B), the fetal bulge was absent within 2 days. The interval from injection of colchicine to onset of estrus was very short (mean, 4 days). These results indicated that treatment with colchicine was lethal to the 24-day embryo, and pseudopregnancy did not occur. Surgical removal of the embryo (group C) resulted in pseudopregnancy characterized by a prolonged interval from treatment to return to estrus (mean, greater than 31 days), prolonged production of progesterone, and prolonged maintenance of tense uterine and cervical tone. The interval from treatment to ovulatory estrus was longer (P less than 0.05) for group C mares than for group B mares. The mean interval from treatment to complete loss of tense tubular uterine tone was not significantly different between group A pregnant controls (28.3 days) and group C pseudopregnant mares (30 days). Treatment of pregnant mares (group D) with a single injection of PGF2alpha on day 32 resulted in loss of pregnancy in 4 of 4 mares within 2 to 5 days, and in all group D mares a large decrease in progesterone concentration occurred on day 33, 34, or 35. Although subsequent reproductive activity was variable, all group D mares rapidly lost the tense uterine and cervical tone characteristic of early pregnancy. These results indicated that a single subcutaneous injection of 1.25 mg of PGF2alpha caused loss of pregnancy, and pseudopregnancy did not occur. Treatment of group E mares, which had been made pseudopregnant by removal of embryo, with 1.25 mg of PGF2alpha resulted in termination of pseudopregnancy in 5 of 5 mares. All group E mares returned to estrus within 2 to 5 days after treatment, and progesterone concentration decreased (P less than 0.05) within 2 days after treatment. There was no significant difference in loss of tense tubular uterine or cervical tone between pregnant (group D) and pseudopregnant (group E) mares after PGF2alpha treatment.     

Control of estrus with prostaglandin F2alpha in mares: minimal effective dose and stage of estrous cycle.

To determine the minimal effective dose of prostagiandin (PGF2alpha; tromethamine salt) given subcutaneously (SC), mares of mixed breeding (400 kg av body weight) were given 2-, 3-, 5-, and 10-mg doses from 7 to 9 days after ovulation. In some but not all mares given doses of 2 and 3 mg of PGF2alpha, luteolysis occurred, but doses of 5 or 10 mg of PGF2alpha were luteolytic in all mares. The 10-mg dose of PGF2alpha did not cause luteolysis in mares 1 day after ovulation, and caused luteolysis in only 2 of 5 mares on day 3 after ovulation. The same dose of PGF2alpha, however, caused luteolysis in all mares on days 5 or 7 after ovulation. The results indicate that the minimal effective luteolytic dose of PGF2alpha (free-acid equivalent) is about 9 mug/kg, and that PGF2alpha is effective fromday 5 after ovulation.     

Effects of ACTH injections during estrus on concentrations and patterns of progesterone, estradiol, LH, and inhibin alpha and time of ovulation in the sow

This study investigated whether injections of ACTH for 48 h, from the onset of the second standing estrus after weaning, had any impact on time of ovulation and patterns of progesterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone (LH), and inhibin alpha. The studied sows (n=15) were fitted with jugular vein catheters and randomly divided into a control (C group) and an ACTH group. From the onset of standing estrus, the sows were injected (NaCl or synthetic ACTH, 5 microg/kg) every 4h; blood samples were collected immediately before and 45 min after each injection. Ovulation was monitored using ultrasonography. The ACTH-group sows stopped displaying signs of standing estrus sooner after ovulation in their second estrus, but no impact was found on time of ovulation. There were no significant differences in the intervals between LH peak, estradiol peak, and the onset of standing estrus between the C and ACTH groups. The cortisol and progesterone concentrations were significantly elevated (p<0.001) in samples taken 45 min after ACTH injection. There were minor differences in estradiol and LH concentrations between the groups. Overall inhibin alpha concentrations were significantly higher during the treatment period in the ACTH than in the C group, but there were no significant differences between samples taken either 45 min or 4h after injection. In conclusion, injections of synthetic ACTH during estrus in the sow apparently disturb the duration of signs of standing estrus and the hormonal pattern of progesterone, and possibly of inhibin alpha, estradiol and LH.