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Title: PORCINE FOLLICLE-STIMULATING HORMONE TREATMENT OF GILTS DURING AN ALTRENOGEST-SYNCHRONIZED FOLLICULAR PHASE: EFFECTS ON FOLLICLE GROWTH, HORMONE SECRETION, OVULATION, AND FERTILIZATION

Author
item Guthrie, Howard
item Pursel, Vernon
item Wall, Robert

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/22/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Effective methods to induce superovulation and increase numbers of quality embryos have been elusive in swine. Administration of gonadotropins in swine increases ovulation rate and fertilized eggs, however without significant increase in litter size at term. The problem may be related to high amounts of luteinizing hormone (LH) contamination present in most gonadotropin preparations. In this study a new porcine follicle-stimulatin hormone (FSH) preparation (SUPER OV) containing almost no LH was administered alone or with a low doses of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) to gilts during an altrenogest-synchronized follicular phase to determine its effects on follicle development, estrus, ovulation, and fertilization. A three day FSH treatment increased the number of potentially ovulatory follicles, but this potential benefit was not realized because many of these gilts failed to show estrus and many follicles failed to ovulate. The co-injection of low doses of hCG increase the ovulation rate over FSH alone, but reduced egg recovery and the proportion of fertilized eggs compared FSH alone. The results of this research will be useful to other scientists showing that additional research is required to determine the optimum method of delivery, dose, and duration of treatment before FSH can used to increase the number of fertilizable ova in swine.

Technical Abstract: Porcine FSH containing low LH activity (.03 %), and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) were administered during an altrenogest-synchronized follicular phase to determine their effects on follicle development, estrus, ovulation, and fertilization. Treatments were made by i.m. injection starting on d 1 (24 h after the last feeding of altrenogest): 1) saline, once, n=14; 2) eCG (1200 to 1500 IU) once, n=32; 3) FSH 14 or 21 NIH-FSH-S1 units/100 kg body weight, divided among six injections at 12-h intervals, n=8 (FSH14/21); 4) FSH, 28 NIH-FSH-S1 units/100 kg body weight, divided among six injections at 12-h intervals n=12; and 5) FSH, 28 NIH- FSH-S1 units/100 kg body weight and 100 iu hCG, two or six injections at 12-h intervals (FSH28+hCG), n=13. Gilts were injected with 750 IU of hCG on d 5 to insure ovulation. Twenty-eight eCG- and 25 FSH-injected gilts were bred, and laparotomized on d 7 to recover ova and record ovulation rate. The mean number of ovulations and large (6 to10 mm) follicles, respectively, on d 7 were: saline (17, .7), eCG (43, .9), FSH14/21 (15, .6), FSH28 (12, 16), and FSH28+hCG (32, 21). Plasma FSH concentrations were >/= threefold higher (P < .05) in gilts treated with FSH than gilts not treated with FSH. The percentage of gilts in estrus was higher (P <.05) for saline- and eCG-treated gilts (100 and 87%, respectively) than for FSH- treated gilts (53%). Proportion of FSH28+hCG-treated gilts with fertilized ova (27%) was lower than for other groups (79 to 100%).