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Logical problems and misunderstandings in "Problems with dimensionless measurement models of synchrony in biological systems".

A model for the standardized measurement of synchrony in behavioral or biological states was proposed for use in comparative analyses of synchrony's adaptive significance. A recent critique attempts to discredit dimensionless (unitless) or standardized measures of synchrony in general and the proposed model in particular. Although the critique helps define and sharpen thinking about the measurement of synchrony and makes some well-taken points, it also arrives at questionable conclusions based upon dubious assumptions. The critique proceeds from a fictional example in which all biological states being considered always have exactly the same durations for all individuals and always start or end for all individuals at exactly the same instants in time. These unreal, biologically meaningless premises, together with other questionable assumptions, are the basis of inappropriate analyses of standardized measures. The critique's arguments reveal a failure to understand the basic underlying principle of the standardized method and are dependent upon faulty logic. A statistical discussion contains both worthy points and arguable comments based not on data or actual probabilities of real events but on irrelevant chance outcomes derived from the biologically meaningless assumptions. The critique's conclusions are not credible, and its basic question probably is not scientifically answerable.

Animals↗

Compensatory extension of gestation length with advance of conception in red deer (Cervus elaphus).

Calving date in many mammals is matched to the time of greatest food availability. Out of season calving results in heavy penalties in terms of own and offspring survival or body condition. This study examined whether gestation length is affected by advancing fertilisation. Thirty-six red deer hinds (of the Iberian and Scottish subspecies) were subjected to a synchronisation treatment of oestrus, ovulation, and artificial insemination on three dates, with remaining non-pregnant females mated with an intact male in a last group. Gestation was longer the more the fertilisation was advanced; gestation lasted 241.5+/-1.3 days (d) in the first group, 237.4+/-1.2 d in the second, 235.1+/-1.3 d in the third, and 231.2+/-1.6 d in the last. Mean gestation lasted 234.2+/-0.7 d. Hinds gained less weight during gestation the more the fertilisation was advanced. The difference was due at least in part to net body weight of the hind after calving compared to that at mating, and calves did not differ in birth weight. As early born calves suffer greater mortality in the field, this enlargening of gestation might be a compensatory response of the hinds to match calving with food availability. Under natural conditions, similar small modifications of gestation length may help hinds to overcome short-term adverse conditions for calving. Because calf mortality is correlated with birth weight, hinds may have kept calf birth weight constant at the expense of greater body weight loss.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Fate of rabbit eggs transferred asynchronously to the oviducts or uteri of oestradiol-treated recipients after ovulation.

The effectiveness of 200 micrograms oestradiol benzoate (ODB) given at various times following ovulation, to overcome a 3-4-day difference in ovulation times between donor and recipient was examined. In approximately half of the recipients in which the interval from the administration of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) to ODB was 2 days, some of the eggs implanted. With a 4-day interval, however, neither implantations nor degenerate blastocysts were found at autopsy on days 11 or 12 in recipients of either tubal or uterine eggs.

Animals↗

Oestrous synchronisation in Ethiopian highland zebu cattle by means of intravaginal cloprostenole administration.

Two series were used in studying the use of a low dose of intravaginal cloprostenole in oestrous synchronisation of zebu cows. In series I, 39 cows were given 175 mcg of cloprostenole with a plastic catheter in the anterior vagina twice, with a 12-day interval. After treatment, 61.5% of these cows came into heat, were inseminated and 70 days later pregnancies were confirmed in 66.6% of inseminated cows. In series II, intravaginal treatment (40 cows) was compared with intramuscular administration (33 cows) of 500 mcg of cloprostenole. After treatment the cows were checked for silent heat in addition to visible heat. The overall oestrous response, for both visible and silent heat, was 62.6% and 60.6% after the intravaginal and the intramuscular treatments respectively, and there was no statistical difference between the 2 treatments. Unfortunately the pregnancy of the cows could not be checked. Intravaginal administration of 175 mcg of cloprostenole resulted in good oestrous synchronisation and pregnancy rate. For zebu cattle, the oestrous synchronisation response was similar to that reached with 500 mcg of cloprostenole administered intramuscularly.

Administration, Intravaginal↗

Oestrus synchronisation and fertility in black Bengal goats following administration of progesterone/prostaglandin and gonadotrophins.

Oestrus synchronisation, fertility and kidding behaviour were studied in 44 Black Bengal goats. They were divided into six experimental groups: group 1, control; group 2, progesterone; group 3, progesterone, pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG); group 4, prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha); group 5, PGF2 alpha, PMSG and HCG; group 6, PMSG and HCG. There was 100 per cent synchronisation of oestrus in the groups treated with progesterone, progesterone with PMSG and HCG, and prostaglandin with PMSG and HCG. In the other two treated groups the synchronisation was between 66 and 75 per cent. In the control group only 50 per cent of the animals came into oestrus during the period of observation. The duration of oestrus varied between 19 and 24 hours except in group 5 where it was 40.87 hours. Animals came on heat between 95 and 137 hours after treatment except in group 5 where the interval was only 18.87 hours. A maximum fertility of 75 per cent was observed in group 4 while the kidding percentage was greatest in group 2. There appeared to be no beneficial effect of superovulation on the number of kids produced. Gestation length was similar in all the groups.

Animals↗

Jugular levels of 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F and progesterone around luteolysis and early pregnancy in the ewe.

Six non-pregnant ewes at day 12 of the estrous cycle each had a day-12 embryo transferred into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum, and 4 non-pregnant ewes at day 13 each had a day-13 embryo similarly transferred. Four control ewes, 2 at day 12 and 2 at day 13 received sheep serum into the uterine horn ipsilateral to the corpus luteum. Jugular blood samples were taken at 2-hourly intervals for 3 days post-surgery, then twice-daily for a further 4 days, and the plasma radioimmunoassayed for progesterone and 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F. All control ewes exhibited estrus within the expected time range and pulsatile peaks of 13, 14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F occurred coincident with declining progesterone levels. With one exception, the recipient owes had prolonged cycles and those ewes found pregnant at necropsy, 30 days after transfer, showed no progesterone decline and no pulsatile peaks of prostaglandin during days 12 to 16 after estrus. These observations suggest that the presence of the embryo at a critical stage after mating suppresses the release of uterine prostaglandin F2alpha.

Animals↗

Effect of intrauterine iodine infusion on luteal function and blood PGF2a concentration in cycling goats.

Studies were conducted to determine the effect of iodine infusion on the luteal function of goats, as evident by blood progesterone concentration, and on plasma PGF2a levels. Ten cycling mixed breed goats were synchronized for estrus by PGF2a (5 mg) and given a single intrauterine iodine infusion on day 5 and on day 15 of the estrous cycle. Iodine infusion on day 5 (group II) resulted in shorter estrous length (8.2 days) and a 7-fold increase in plasma PGF2a concentration as compared to control animals (group I) given distilled water infusion. Similar infusion on day 15 (group III), on the other hand, failed to alter the estrous cycle length but induced a moderate increase in PGF2a concentration which lasted only for a brief period. The progesterone levels declined concomitantly as PGF2a levels rose after iodine infusion in group II animals but failed to decline until after 24 hours in group III animals. The studies indicate that the endometrium reacts to the chemical stimuli and releases PGF2a which, in turn, alters the luteal function.

Animals↗

Fertility of ewes following artificial insemination with semen frozen in pellets or straws, a preliminary report.

In two trials involving the artificial insemination of 194 ewes, the fertility of ram semen was examined following freezing, either in pellet form or in straws, and after storage in a chilled state (15 degrees C) for up to 16 hours. Estrus was synchronized in ewes by intravaginal sponge (MAP) treatment for 14 days. At sponge removal 600 IU PMSG was injected and the ewes received two inseminations 50 and 60 hours later. Fertility was assessed at lambing. In trial 1, the mean lambing rate of 52% (16/31) for semen frozen in pellets was higher than 29% (9/31) for semen frozen in straws but this difference was not significant. In trial 2, ewes inseminated with chilled semen and semen frozen in pellets had lambing rates of 83% (44/53) and 55% (44/79) respectively (P<0.001).

Journal Article↗

Culture of one- and two-cell bovine embryos to the blastocyst stage in the ovine oviduct.

The ovine oviduct was evaluated as a culture system for early bovine embryos. One- to two-cell embryos were collected from superovulated heifers killed 36 or 48 h after the onset of estrus, embedded in agar cylinders, and transferred to oviducts ligated at the uterotubal junction. After 5 d (6.5 to 7.0 d after donor estrus), embryos were recovered and evaluated for development to the late morula or blastocyst stage. In Experiment 1, 86 embryos were cultured in 10 ewes in which the onset of estrus was synchronized with that of the donors. Fifty-eight embryos (68%) were recovered; of these, 31 (53%) had continued normal development. In Experiment 2, development in ovariectomized versus intact cyclic ewes was compared. Recovery from ovariectomized ewes (26/39, 67%) did not differ from intact cyclic ewes (26/35, 74%) and the proportion developing normally also did not differ (ovariectomized: 7/26, 27%; intact cyclic: 11/26, 42%). In Experiment 3, embryo development was compared in anestrous versus ovariectomized ewes. Recovery rate (anestrous: 22/43, 51%; ovariectomized: 20/51, 39%) and the proportion developing normally (anestrous: 8/22, 37%; ovariectomized: 9/20, 45%) did not differ between treatments. Developmental competence of oviduct-cultured embryos was tested by transfer to 16 synchronous heifers, of which eight (50%) became pregnant; five delivered calves. Results indicate that the ovine oviduct provides an adequate site for the culture of early bovine embryos.

Journal Article↗

Effects of lactation status, progestogen and ram exposure on response to cloprostenol in ewes during the anestrous season.

Progestogen pretreatment and introduction of rams were used to prepare 432 Rasa aragonesa ewes for synchronization of estrus with prostaglandin (PG) during anestrus. The experiment was a 3 x 3 x 2 factorial with lactation status, ram/progestogen treatment and treatment with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG; 250 IU) at injection of PG as main effects. At ram introduction (Day 0), ewes were dry (Group 1), weaned (Group 2) or suckling a lamb (Group 3). They received either norgestomet implants for 12 d (Days -12 to Day 0 (Group A), ram introduction for 12 d (Days 0 to 12) (Group B) or both (Group C). Half the ewes received PMSG with PG (100 mug Cloprostenol) on Day 12. Pregnancy rate was higher at first service in dry (Group 1; 42%) than in recently-weaned ewes (Group 3; 24% and Group 2; 31%; P<0.01). Occurrence of estrus and conception and pregnancy rates to first service were higher (P<0.01) in ewes previously exposed to rams (Groups B and C) than in ewes treated only with progestogen (Group A). There were no effects of PMSG, no interactions among the three variables and no differences in prolificacy (1.12 at first service).

Journal Article↗

Fertility of frozen-thawed porcine semen following controlled-rate freezing in straws.

A method was developed for freezing large batches of porcine semen in straws at a controlled rate in a liquid nitrogen programmable freezer. The fertilizing potential of spermatozoa frozen by this method was examined by inseminating 220 sows with a mixture of semen from two boars. Estrus was synchronized using one of two regimens and sows were inseminated once at 34 h after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) treatment. The average pregnancy rate at 60 d of gestation, farrowing rate and litter size were 60.9%, 51.4% and 8.8, respectively. The fertilizing potential of spermatozoa frozen by this method appeared to be similar to that reported for other methods of freezing porcine semen.

Journal Article↗

Influence of sire, sex of fetus and type of pregnancy on conceptus development.

Estrus was synchronized in 93 crossbred cows 3 to 7 yr old which were then superovulated with 10 mg FSH-P and bred artificially to either a Jersey or Charolais bull. Females pregnant to the Jersey sire were slaughtered at 95, 180 or 250 d of gestation; low pregnancy rate from the Charolais sire resulted in enough dams for slaughter and valid comparisons at 95 d only. Conceptus tissue and organ weights and dam carcass weights and measurements were collected at slaughter. At 95 d of gestation, sire differences were not significant; type of pregnancy (single vs multiple) had significant effects on placentome and membrane weight; fetus sex had highly significant effects on fetus weight and crown-rump length. Fetal brain and heart weights showed little effect of sire, fetus sex or type of pregnancy, indicating these early differentiating tissues are highly competitive for available nutrients for growth. Fetal data at 180 and 250 d of gestation showed highly significant effects of gestation stage on placentome, membrane and fetus weights, crown-rump and metatarsal lengths, and liver, kidney, heart and total brain weights. Type of pregnancy had greater effects on the conceptus traits than did fetus sex at these stages. Nonorthogonal analyses of data from the Jersey-sired pregnancies indicated growth of fetuses in multiple pregnancies was suppressed, and the reduction in fetus weight became more pronounced as gestation progressed. Correlations among conceptus traits and dam carcass data showed different relationships within single and multiple pregnancies. We suggest that the genetic contribution for fetal growth has a positive effect on fetal size throughout gestation while the importance of metabolite availability may change during gestation depending on the genetic growth potential of the fetus and on whether the pregnancy is single or multiple. We speculate that these fetus-dam relationships involve systems controlling fetus growth that arise from the fetus genetic growth potential interacting with positive and negative dam effects that are linked or related to the carcass skeletal-fat-muscle endpoints studied.

Journal Article↗

The effect of grazing location and oronasal treatment with bull urine on reproductive performance and serum prolactin concentrations of beef heifers.

Grazing location and biostimulatory treatments were imposed on 55 Brangus and crossbred heifers in a 2x2x2 factorial arrangement. Grazing locations (postweaning) were semi-desert rangeland with supplementation or irrigated small grains pasture. Biostimulatory treatment involved either weekly oronasal application of bull urine or no treatment (control). The duration of bull urine treatments was 8 weeks. Grazing location affected heifer weights from February through August (P<0.01). Rate of weight gain on irrigated pasture exceeded native range (P<0.01). Cyclicity was similar between the location groups before the treatment period. Post-treatment cyclicity rates of heifers were 25 and 78% for native range and irrigated pasture, respectively (P<.01). Twenty-five percent of cyclic heifers grazing native range went into anestrus during this treatment period, while no loss of cyclicity was observed in the heifers on irrigated pasture (P<0.10). Heifers maintained on irrigated pasture exhibited more standing estrus following synchronization (P<0.10), higher pregnancy rates following breeding (P<0.05), heavier fall weights (P<0.01), higher body condition scores (P<0.01), and greater pelvic widths (P<0.05) than those on native range. Cyclic heifers grazing native range had prolactin levels twice those of irrigated pasture heifers. Serum growth hormone levels were not consistently affected by treatments. Heifers which became pregnant while grazing irrigated pasture had much lower prolactin concentrations in serum collected in January than the noncyclic heifers.

Journal Article↗

Regulation of in vitro progesterone release from caprine luteal tissues by prostaglandins E2 and F2a.

Luteal slices obtained from Day-10 cyclic, sexually mature, mixed-breed, superovulated goats were used to study the effects of prostaglandins E(2) and F(2)a (PGE(2) and PGF(2)a) on the release of progesterone. The goats were synchronized for estrus using a single intramuscular injection of 5 mg PGF(2)a given during the mid-luteal phase of the estrous cycle. Multiple follicular growth and superovulation were induced using a treatment regiment of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) previously standardized in our laboratory (1). The luteal slices were treated with PGE(2) or PGF(2)a at concentrations of 1 and 10 ng/ml each. Untreated luteal slices continued to release significant amounts of progesterone over the entire period of incubation (30 to 360 minutes). There was a progressive increase in progesterone accumulation following treatment with PGE(2) at both concentrations. The mean progesterone values were significantly higher in the PGE(2)-treated groups at all incubation periods than in the controls. Progesterone values at 10 ng/ml were higher (P<0.05) than at 1 ng/ml. Treatment with PGF(2)a decreased (P<0.05) progesterone release at 60 to 360 minutes of incubation compared with that of the corresponding controls for each incubation period. However, there appeared to be no differences (P>0.05) in mean progesterone values between the two concentrations of PGF(2)a. The results of this study showed that PGE(2) enhanced the release of progesterone by caprine luteal tissues, whereas PGF(2)a inhibited its release.

Journal Article↗