Comparing CIDR with progesterone injections and eCG with human recombinant FSH for synchronizing estrous cycle in ewes

Document Type : Full paper (Original article)

Authors

1 DVSc Student in Veterinary Obstetrics and Gynecology, Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

3 Veterinary Research Institute, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

4 Ph.D. in Radiology, Avingen Company, Firuzkuh, Iran

5 Department of Animal Sciences, School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

Abstract

Background: It is desirable in estrus synchronization in sheep to avoid intravaginal devices and to shorten the program from 14 to 6 days. Moreover, replacement of eCG with safe, cheap, and efficient gonadotropin is in worldwide demand. Aims: This study investigates the possibility of replacing eCG with human recombinant FSH (hrFSH) and CIDR with progesterone injections for estrous synchronization in ewes. Methods: Assaf and Lacaune ewes (n=170) were divided into two groups and synchronized with either progesterone injections for 6 days or CIDR for 14 days. Ewes assigned in the injection group, received progesterone (37.5 mg; SC) and GnRH analogue (7.5 µg Alarelin acetate; IM) on day 0 of the experiment. On days 3 and 6, ewes received 25 and 12.5 mg progesterone (SC), respectively. On day 6, ewes in both groups received prostaglandin F2α (250 µg Cloprostenol; IM), and were divided into two subgroups to receive either hrFSH (75 IU Follitropin alfa; SC) or eCG (400 IU; IM). On day 7, fertile rams were introduced to ewes for 21 days. Data were analyzed using GLM and Glimmix. Results: There was no difference in the respective lambing rates, prolificacy, and fecundity between CIDR (71.1, 1.63, and 1.16%) and injections (66.7, 1.55, and 1.03%); between eCG (71.4, 1.60, and 1.14%), and hrFSH (66.3, 1.58, and 1.05%, P>0.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, 6-day progesterone injection-based protocol produced similar results to 14-day CIDR program and hrFSH could be an effective alternative for eCG during estrus synchronization in ewes.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Ainsworth, L and Downey, BR (1986). A controlled internal drug-release dispenser containing progesterone for control of the estrous cycle of ewes. Theriogenology. 26: 847-856.
Ali, A (2007). Effect of time of eCG administration on follicular response and reproductive performance of FGA-treated Ossimi ewes. Small Rum. Res., 72: 33-37.
Animal Welfare Foundation (2022). PMSG investigation in Argentina: Blood farm Syntex. URL: https://www.animal-welfare-foundation.org/en/blog/pmsg-investigation-in-argentina-blood-farm-syntex.
Bartlewski, PM; Seaton, P; Oliveira, MEF; Kridli, RT; Murawski, M and Schwarz, T (2016). Intrinsic determinants and predictors of superovulatory yields in sheep: Circulating concentrations of reproductive hormones, ovarian status, and antral follicular blood flow. Theriogenology. 86: 130-143.
Bodin, L; Drion, PV; Remy, B; Brice, G; Cognié, Y and Beckers, JF (1997). Anti-PMSG antibody levels in sheep subjected annually to oestrus synchronisation. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 37: 651-660.
Boscos, CM; Samartzi, FC; Dellis, S; Rogge, A; Stefanakis, A and Krambovitis, E (2002). Use of progestagen-gonadotrophin treatments in estrus synchronization of sheep. Theriogenology. 58: 1261-1272.
Davies, P (2019). Infertility and abortion in sheep and goats. In: Noakes, DE; Parkinson, TJ and England, GC (Eds.), Veterinary reproduction and obstetrics. (10th Edn.), London, United Kingdom, W. B. Saunders. PP: 510-525.
Daya, S (2004). Follicle-stimulating hormone in clinical practice: an update. Treatments Endocrinol., 3: 161-171.
Evans, G and Maxwell, WC (1987). Salamons’ artificial insemination of sheep and goats. 2nd Edn., Butterworths, Sydney, Australia.
Ferdowsi, HR; Vodjgani, M; Gharagozloo, F; Garoussi, MT; Niasari-Naslaji, A and Akbarinejad, V (2020). The effects of eCG injection time on the reproductive performance in Shal ewes treated with short-term synchronization program during the breeding season. J. Vet. Res., 75: 109-117.
Galli, C; Duchi, R; Crotti, G; Turini, P; Ponderato, N; Colleoni, S; Lagutina, I and Lazzari, G (2003). Bovine embryo technologies. Theriogenology. 59: 599-616.
Godfrey, RW; Gray, ML and Collins, JR (1997). A comparison of two methods of oestrous synchronisation of hair sheep in the tropics. Anim. Reprod. Sci., 47: 99-106.
Gomez, JD; Balasch, S; Gomez, LD; Martino, A and Fernandez, N (2006). A comparison between intravaginal progestagen and melatonin implant treatments on the reproductive efficiency of ewes. Small Rumin. Res., 66: 156-163.
Graff, KJ; Meintjes, M; Han, Y; Reggio, BC; Denniston, RS; Gavin, WG; Ziomek, C and Godke, RA (2000). Comparing follicle stimulating hormone from two commercial sources for oocyte production from out-of-season dairy goats. J. Dairy Sci., 83: 484-487.
Henderson, KM; Savage, LC; Ellen, RL; Ball, K and McNatty, KP (1988). Consequences of increasing or decreasing plasma FSH concentrations during the preovulatory period in Romney ewes. J. Reprod. Fertil., 84: 187-196.
Hogue, DE (1987). Frequent lambing systems. In: Marai, IFM and Owen, JB (Eds.), New techniques in sheep production. (1st Edn.), Butterworth-Heinemann. PP: 57-63.
Kanitz, W; Becker, F; Schneider, F; Kanitz, E; Leiding, C; Nohner, HP and Pöhland, R (2002). Superovulation in cattle: practical aspects of gonadotropin treatment and insemination. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 42: 587-599.
Kendall, NR; Gonzalez-Bulnes, A and Campbell, BK (2004). The use of urinary and recombinant human FSH preparations to induce superovulation in sheep and the effect on FSH and LH concentrations. In proceedings of the British society of animal science. Vol. 2004, Cambridge University Press. P: 59.‏
Khodadadi, A; Niasari-Naslaji, A; Nikjou, D and Mohammadi, B (2022). Superovulation of high-producing Holstein lactating dairy cows with human recombinant FSH and hMG. Theriogenology. 191: 239-244.
Knights, M; Baptiste, QS; Dixon, AB; Pate, JL; Marsh, DJ; Inskeep, EK and Lewis, PE (2003). Effects of dosage of FSH, vehicle and time of treatment on ovulation rate and prolificacy in ewes during the anestrous season. Small Rumin. Res., 50: 1-9.
Knights, M; Hoehn, T; Lewis, PE and Inskeep, EK (2001a). Effectiveness of intravaginal progesterone inserts and FSH for inducing synchronized estrus and increasing lambing rate in anestrous ewes. J. Anim. Sci., 79: 1120-1131.
Knights, M; Maze, TD; Bridges, PJ; Lewis, PE and Inskeep, EK (2001b). Short-term treatment with a controlled internal drug releasing (CIDR) device and FSH to induce fertile estrus and increase prolificacy in anestrous ewes. Theriogenology. 55: 1181-1191.
Langford, GA; Marcus, GJ and Batra, TR (1983). Seasonal effects of PMSG and number of inseminations on fertility of progestogen-treated sheep. J. Anim. Sci., 57: 307-312.
Ludwig, M; Felberbaum, RE; Diedrich, K and Lunenfeld, B (2002). Ovarian stimulation: from basic science to clinical application. Reprod. BioMed. Online. 5: 73-86.
Lunenfeld, B (2004). Historical perspectives in gonadotrophin therapy. Hum. Reprod. Update. 10: 453-467.
Manning, AW; Rajkumar, K; Bristol, F; Flood, PF and Murphy, BD (1987). Genetic and temporal variation in serum concentrations and biological activity of horse chorionic gonadotrophin. J. Reprod. Fert., Suppl. 35, 389-397.
Martinez-Ros, P; Lozano, M; Hernandez, F; Tirado, A; Rios-Abellan, A; López-Mendoza, MC and Gonzalez-Bulnes, A (2018). Intravaginal device-type and treatment-length for ovine estrus synchronization modify vaginal mucus and microbiota and affect fertility. Animals. 8: 226.
Murphy, BD; Mapletoft, RJ; Manns, J and Humphrey, WD (1984). Variability in gonadotrophin preparations as a factor in the superovulatory response. Theriogenology. 21: 117-125.
Payan, M; Niasari-Naslaji, A; Seidi Samani, H; Darbandsari, M; Alijani, A; Baninajar, M and Ganjkhanlou, M (2022). The time of eCG administration in progesterone injection-based estrus synchronization protocol could affect the time of estrus expression in ewes during non-breeding season. Small Rumin. Res., 216: 106814.
Pearce, DT and Robinson, TJ (1985). Plasma progesterone concentrations, ovarian and endocrinological responses and sperm transport in ewes with synchronized oestrus. J. Reprod. Fertil., 75: 49-62.
Phillips, DJ; Hudson, NL; Lun, S; Condell, LA and McNatty, KP (1993). Biopotency in vitro and metabolic clearance rates of five pituitary preparations of follicle stimulating hormone. Reprod. Fertil. Dev., 5: 181-190.
Raoul, J and Elsen, JM (2020). Effect of the rate of artificial insemination and paternity knowledge on the genetic gain for French meat sheep breeding programs. Livest. Sci., 232: 103932.
Robinson, TJ and Smith, JF (1967). The evaluation of S G-9880-impregnated intravaginal sponges used with or without PMS for the advancement of the breeding season
of British breed ewes. In: Robinson, TJ, The control of the ovarian cycle in sheep (1st Edn.), Sydney Univ. Press. Sydney, Australia. PP: 144-157.
Roy, F; Combes, B; Vaiman, D; Cribiu, EP; Pobel, T; Delétang, F; Combarnous, Y; Guillou, F and Maurel, MC (1999). Humoral immune response to equine chorionic gonadotropin in ewes: association with major histocompatibility complex and interference with subsequent fertility. Biol. Reprod., 61: 209-218.
Rutigliano, HM; Adams, BM; Jablonka-Shariff, A; Boime, I and Adams, TE (2014). Effect of time and dose of recombinant follicle stimulating hormone agonist on the superovulatory response of sheep. Theriogenology. 82: 455-460.
SAS (2016). User’s Guide. Ver. 9.4, SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA.
Seidi Samani, H; Niasari-Naslaji, A; Shojaei, A; Ganjkhanlou, M and Baninajar, M (2023a). Induction of estrus and fertility of Shal ewes using progesterone injections or intravaginal sponge followed by laparoscopic AI during non-breeding season. Iran. Vet. J., 19: 117-126.
Seidi Samani, H; Niasari-Naslaji, A; Vojgani, M; Ganjkhanlou, M; Baninajjar, M and Alijani, A (2023b). Synchronization of estrus using progesterone injections followed by human menopausal gonadotropin in ewes. Vet. Res. Forum., 14: 145-151.
Swelum, AAA; Alowaimer, AN and Abouheif, MA (2015). Use of fluorogestone acetate sponges or controlled internal drug release for estrus synchronization in ewes: Effects of hormonal profiles and reproductive performance. Theriogenology. 84: 498-503.
Viñoles, C; Paganoni, B; Milton, JTB; Driancourt, MA and Martin, GB (2011). Pregnancy rate and prolificacy after artificial insemination in ewes following synchronization with prostaglandin, sponges, or sponges with bactericide. Anim. Prod. Sci., 51: 565-569.
Wrathall, AE; Holyoak, GR; Parsonson, IM and Simmons, HA (2008). Risks of transmitting ruminant spongiform encephalopathies (prion diseases) by semen and embryo transfer techniques. Theriogenology. 70: 725-745.
Yavuzer, Ü; Zonturlu, AK and Faruk, ARAL (2010). Effect of recombinant follicle stimulating hormone (rFSH) on some fertility parameters in Awassi ewes synchronized with PGF2α in the breeding season. Ankara Üniv. Vet. Fakült. Dergisi., 57: 241-245.
Youngquist, RS and Threlfall, WR (2007). Current therapy in large animal theriogenology. 2nd Edn., Elsevier Health Sciences. Philadelphia, USA. PP: 701-714.
Zeitoun, MM; Ali, MA and El-Dawas, AO (2020a). Induction of twinning in ewes using two protocols of a recombinant human follicle stimulating hormone porcine pituitary-derived FSH and their subsequent impacts on maternal hormones. Maced. Vet. Rev., 43: 111-123.
Zeitoun, MM; El-Dawas, AO; Ateah, MA and El-Deen, MAS (2020b). Consequences of twinning induction to Noemi ewes by a recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone compared with pituitary-derived porcine follicle-stimulating hormone on follicular dynamics, maternal biochemical attributes, and neonatal traits. Vet. World. 13: 633-641.

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics