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Title: CONCENTRATIONS OF GONADOTROPINS, ESTRADIOL AND PROGESTERONE IN SOWS SELECTED ON AN INDEX OF OVULATION RATE AND EMBRYO SURVIVAL

Author
item MARISCAL, D - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item BERGFELD, E.G. - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item CUPP, A - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item KOJIMA, FREDDIE - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item FIKE, KAROL - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item SANCHEZ, T - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item WEHRMAN, M - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item JOHNSON, RODGER - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item KITTOK, ROGER - UNIV. NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item FORD, JOHNY

Submitted to: Animal Reproduction Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/17/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Concentrations of reproductive hormones were monitored throughout the estrous cycle in a line of pigs in which number of ovulations had increased due to direct selection for this trait and in a randomly selected control population. In this study no differences between these two lines of pigs were detected for the reproductive hormones that were monitored. We conclude that direct selection for ovulation rate influenced local intraovarian regulation of follicular growth without having a significant effect on circulating hormone concentrations during the estrous cycle. These results will impact the design of subsequent studies.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine concentrations of FSH, LH, progesterone (P4) and 17beta-estradiol (E2) in sows from a line selected on an index of ovulation rate and embryo survival and from a control line. A further classification of the sows in each line was made according to the estimated number of ovulations during an estrous cycle and sows were ranked dinto a high (HI) or low group (LI) when their estimated number of ovulations were 25 or more and 14 to 15, respectively. Sows of the control line were also classified into groups as high (HC) or low (LC) and the estimated values for ovulation rate were 14 to 15 and 8 to 9 ovulations, respectively. Blood samples were collected every 12 h during a complete estrous cycle and samples were analyzed for concentrations of FSH and LH. Samples collected every 24 h were assayed for P4 and E2. Mean concentrations of FSH, LH, P4 and E2 were not different (P>.05) neither between the lines nor when comparisons were made based on ovulation rate. Therefore, selection of pigs for ovulation rate and embryo survival did not affect concentrations of FSH, LH, P4 and E2 in sows during the estrous cycle.