Fertility rate of short-term progestagen pretreated ewes in relation to breed: A field study

PDF
Published: Jan 29, 2018
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.15554
Keywords:
Artificial insemination Chios breed Karagouniko breed Oestrus synchronization Fertility
S. PAPADOPOULOS
Department of Agricultural Technologists, Division of Animal Production, Technological Educational Institution (T.E.I.) of Thessaly
C. DELIGIANNIS
Department of Agricultural Technologists, Division of Animal Production, Technological Educational Institution (T.E.I.) of Thessaly
E. K. THEODOSIADOU
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly
D. KANTAS
Department of Agricultural Technologists, Division of Animal Production, Technological Educational Institution (T.E.I.) of Thessaly
TH. LAINAS
-0-
P. GOULAS
Department of Agricultural Technologists, Division of Animal Production, Technological Educational Institution (T.E.I.) of Thessaly
G. C. FTHENAKIS
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly
I. VALASI
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Thessaly
Abstract

The effect of short-term instead of long-term progestagen treatment on fertility of Karagouniko and Chios ewes, after natural mating or artificial insemination, was investigated. Two experiments were performed during the transition period from anοestrous to the breeding season. In the 1st experiment (natural mating, NM), Karagouniko and Chios ewes were randomly allocated into 3 groups, that were KLM (long-term progestagen treatment; n=35), KSM (short-term progestagen treatment; n=34), KSP (short-term progestagen treatment; prostaglandin; n=35) and CLM (n=40), CSM (n=35), CSP (n=38), respectively. In the 2nd experiment (intracervical artificial insemination, AI) Karagouniko and Chios ewes were randomly allocated into 3 groups, that were KLA (long-term progestagen treatment; AI at 54h; n=50), KSA1 (short-term progestagen treatment; AI at 54h; n=20), KSA2 (short-term progestagen treatment; AI at 48h; n=28) and CLA (n=40), CSA1 (n=16), CSA2 (n=20), respectively. At sponges’ removal (d0) all ewes received 400 IU eCG. Ten rams served NM, while for AI fresh diluted semen was used. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed, 45-50 days later. Ιn the 1st experiment, blood samples were collected, daily for 5 days, starting on d0, for serum progesterone assessment. Conception rate in Karagouniko ewes after NM was higher (P<0.05) in KSM (35.29%) compared to KLM (17.14%) group, but did not differ with KSP (28.57%) group, while after AI it was higher (P<0.05) in KLA (42.00%) or KSA1 (40.00%) compared to KSA2 (14.29%) group. In Chios ewes no significant differences were observed between groups either after NM [CLM (45.00%), CSM (36.84%), CSP (34.29%)] or after AI [CSA1 (50.00%), CSA2 (50.00%), CLA (45.00%)]. No significant differences were observed after NM or after AI in the litter size in both breeds. These results indicate that short-term progestagen treatment for oestrus synchronization could be applied in indigenous Greek sheep breeds, resulting in equal (Chios) or improved fertility (Karagouniko) than the common long-term one. Also, the fertility rate in ewes subjected to short-term progestagen treatment depends on the time of AI in relation to breed.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Abecia JA, Forcada F, Gonzalez-Bulnes A (2012) Hormonal control of reproduction in small ruminants. Anim Reprod Sci 130: 173-179.
Ataman MB, Aköz M, Akman O (2006) Induction of synchronized oestrus in Akkaraman cross-bred ewes during breeding and anestrus seasons: the use of short-term and long-term progesterone treatments. Revista de Medicina Veterinária 157: 257-260.
Baril G, Remy B, Leboeuf B, Beckers JF, Saumande J (1993) Synchronization of estrus in goats: the relationship between eCG binding in plasma, time of occurrence of estrus and fertility following artificial insemination. Theriogenology 40:621–628.
Baril G, Remy B, Vallet JC, Beckers JF (1992) Effect of repeated use of progestagen- PMSG treatment for estrus control in dairy goats out of breeding season. Reprod Dom Anim 27:161–168.
Chemineau P, Cognié Y (1991) Training manual on artificial insemination in sheep and goats. Food and Agriculture Organization on the United Nations, Rome, Italy.
Cseh S, Faigl V, Amiridis GS (2012) Semen processing and artificial insemination in health management of small ruminants. Ani Reprod Sci 130: 187-192.
Deligiorgis SG, Apostolopoulos KD, Deligiannis C, Rogdakis E (1996) Economic evaluation of the effects of mating season on the breeding of sheep (in Greek). Animal Science Review 22: 37-48.
Donovan A, Hanrahan JP, Duffy P, Boland MP (2000) AI in sheep: breed differences in timing of ovulation. Irish J Agr Food Res 39: 464-465.
Donovan A, Hanrahan JP, Duffy P, Byrne GP, Boland MP (1999) Cervical AI with fresh or frozen-thawed semen: effect of ewe breed. Irish J Agr Food Res 38: 267.
Donovan, A, Hanrahan JP, Kummen E, Duffy P, Boland MP (1998) Ewe fertility following cervical AI of fresh or frozen-thawed semen at a natural or synchronized oestrus. Irish J Agr Food Res 37: 108-109.
Evans G (1988) Current topics in artificial insemination of sheep. Aust J Biol Sci 41: 103-116.
Evans G, Maxwell WMC (1987) Salamon’s Artificial Insemination of Sheep and Goats. Butterworths Pty Limited.
Faigl V, Vass N, Javor A, Kuscsar M, Solti L, Amiridis GS, Cseh S (2012) Artificial insemination of small ruminants-A review. Acta Vet Hung 60: 115-129.
Gaston-Parry O, Heasman K, Nemorin JKE, Robinson TJ (1988) A radioimmunoassay for flurogestone acetate (FGA) and its application to the measurement of plasma FGA and progesterone in ewes treated with FGA-impregnated intravaginal sponges. Aust J Biol Sci 41: 57-67.
Gordon I (1983) Fixed-timed sheep artificial insemination. In (Ed.: Gordon I) Controlled Breeding in Farm Animals, Pergamon Press, Oxford, UK, pp. 197-208.
Greyling JPC, Kotze WF, Taylor GJ, Hagendijk WJ, Cloete F (1994) Synchronization of oestrus in sheep: use of different doses of progestagen outside the normal breeding season. S Afr J Anim Sci 24: 33-37.
Hawk HW (1983) Sperm survival and transport in the female reproductive tract. J Dairy Sci 66: 2645-60.
Housein MQ, Ababneh, MM, Abu-Ruman DS (2007) The effects of short or long term FGA treatment with or without eCG on reproductive performance of ewes bred out-of-season. American J Anim Vet Sci 2: 23-28.
Jabbour HN, Evans G (1991) Fertility of superovulated ewes following intrauterine or oviductal insemination with fresh or frozen-thawed semen. Reprod Fert Develop 3: 1-7.
Johnson SK, Dailey RA, Inskeep EK, Lewis PE. (1996) Effect of peripheral concentrations of progesterone on follicular growth and fertility in ewes. Domest Anim Endocrinol 13: 69-79.
Marai IFM, El-Darawany AA, Fadiel A. Abdel-Hafez MAM (2007) Physiological traits as affected by heat stress in sheep - a review. Small Rumin Res 71: 1-12.
Martemucci G, D’Alessandro AG (2011) Synchronization of oestrus and ovulation by short time combined FGA, PGF2α, GnRH, Ecg treatments for natural service or AI fixed-time. Anim Reprod Sci 123: 32-39.
Martin G, Sutherland SRD, Lindsay DR (1987) Effects of nutritional supplements on testicular size and the secretion of LH and testosterone in Merino and Booroola rams. Anim Reprod Sci 12:267-281.
Menchaca A and Rubianes E (2004) New treatments associated with timed artificial insemination in small ruminants. Reprod Fert Develop 16: 403-414.
Menegatos I (1990) Εndocrinological changes in ewes after hormonal treatment for oestrus synchronization with progestagen (MAP) and PMSG. Ph.D. Thesis. Agricultural University of Athens. Department of Animal Production.
Rekkas C., Bellibasaki S., Taitzoglou I., Kokolis N., Smokovitis A. (1991) Increased plasminogen activator activity and plasminogen activator inhibition in spermatozoa and seminal plasma of the ram after serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) administration. Correlation with the increased level of testosterone in the blood. Andrologia 23: 273-
Roy F, Maurel MC, Combes B, Vaiman D, Cribiu EP, Lantier L, Pobel T, Dele´tang F, Combarnous Y, Guillou F (1999a) The negative effect of repeated equine chorionic gonadotropin treatment on subsequent fertility in alpine goats is due to a humoral immune response involving the major histocompatibility complex. Biol Reprod 60:805–813.
Roy F, Combes B, Vaiman D, Cribiu EP, Pobel T, Dele´tang F, Combarnous Y, Guillou F, Maurel MC (1999b) Humoral immune response to equine chorionic gonadotropin in ewes: association with major histocompatibility complex and interference with subsequent fertility. Biol Reprod 61:209–218.
Rubianes E, de Castro T, Carbajal B (1996) Effect of high progesterone levels during the growing phase of the dominant follicle of wave 1 in ultrasonically monitored ewes. Can J Anim Sci 76: 473-475.
Stefanakis AE (1988) Changes in the properties of cervical mucus of sheep after estrus synchronization and their influence on spermatozoa behaviour. Ph.D. Thesis, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Theodosiadou E, Amiridis GS, Tsiligianni Th (2014) Relationship between electrical resistance of cervical mucus and ovarian steroid concentration at the time of artificial insemination in ewes. Reprod Biol 14: 234-237, Short Communication.
Theodosiadou E, Goulas P, Kouskoura T, Smokovitis A (2004) Oestrogen and progesterone concentrations in plasma and oviductal tissue of ewes exhibiting a natural or induced oestrus. Anim Reprod Sci 80: 59-67.
Ungerfeld R, Rubianes E (1999) Effectiveness of short-term progestagen priming for the induction of fertile oestrus with eCG in ewes during late seasonal anoestrus. Anim Sci 68: 349-353.
Valasi I, Papanikolaou T, Deligiannis C, Theodosiadou E, Amiridis GS (2005) Effects of follicular aspiration on the number and the quality of collected oocytes from superovulated Karagouniko ewes. Proceedings of 6th International Sheep Veterinary Congress, Hersonissos, Crete, Greece, p. 373-374.
Valasi I, Papanikolaou Th, Goulas P, Deligiannis C, Amiridis GS (2006) Effect of progestagen pretreatment on meiotic competence of oocytes collected from superovulated ewes. 10th Annual Congress of the European Society for Domestic Animal Reproduction (Portoroz-Lipica, Slovenia), Reprod Dom Anim 41(4): 370.
Viñoles C, Forsberg M, Banchero G, Rubianes E (2001) Effect of long-term and short-term progestagen treatment on follicular development and pregnancy rate in cyclic ewes. Theriogenology 55: 993-1004.
Viñoles C, Meikle A, Forsberg M, Rubianes E (1999) The effect of subluteal levels of exogenous progesterone on follicular dynamics and endocrine patterns during early luteal phase of the ewe. Theriogenology 51: 1351-1361.
Walker SK, Smith DH, Godfrey B, Seamark RF (1989) Time of ovulation in the South Australian Merino ewe following synchronisation of oestrus. 1. Variation within and between flocks. Theriogenology 31: 545-553.
Most read articles by the same author(s)