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Effect of reproductive methods and GnRH administration on long-term protocol in Santa Ines ewes

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Abstract

This study aimed to determine whether reproductive performance of ewes submitted to laparoscopic timed artificial insemination (TAI) would be similar to ante meridiem (AM)/post meridiem (PM) rule and assisted natural mating (NM), and whether GnRH may enhance the pregnancy rate in TAI. In experiment I, 191 non-lactating ewes were synchronized, then TAI was performed either 48 h after progesterone (P4) removal (TAI-48 h) or 12 h after estrus detection (AM/PM); moreover, some ewes were submitted to NM (NM) as control treatment. In experiment II, 247 non-lactating ewes were allocated in five treatments, a control (no-GnRH on protocol) and four treatments arranged in a factorial design 2 × 2. The factors were time and dose of GnRH: ewes that received either 10 μg (TAI-10 μg-36 h) or 25 μg of GnRH (TAI-25 μg-36 h) 36 h after P4 removal and ewes that received either 10 μg (TAI-10 μg-48 h) or 25 μg of GnRH (TAI-25 μg-48 h) at time of insemination, 48 h after P4 removal. In experiment I, pregnancy rate in TAI-48 h was lower (P = 0.03) than AM/PM and NM. Moreover, the probability of pregnancy in TAI-48 h was higher (P = 0.06) in ewes detected in estrus early. In experiment II, the use of GnRH in TAI protocols increased (P < 0.01) pregnancy rate at synchronization, and TAI-25 μ-48 h and TAI-10 μg-36 h treatments increased (P = 0.02) pregnancy rate compered to TAI-10 μg-48 h. We conclude that TAI decreased pregnancy rate compered to NM and AM/PM, which may be improved by GnRH use in TAI to synchronize ovulation.

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Acknowledgments

The authors also would like to thank the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) and the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) for financial support on this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture, University of São Paulo, Pádua Dias Avenue, n. 11, PO Box 09, Piracicaba, São Paulo, 13418-900, Brazil

    Marcos V Biehl, Marcos V C Ferraz Junior & Alexandre V Pires

  2. Department of Nutrition and Animal Production, College of Veterinary and Animal Science, University of São Paulo, Duque de Caxias North Avenue, n. 225, Pirassununga, São Paulo, 13635-000, Brazil

    Marcos V C Ferraz Junior, Daniel M Polizel, Alexandre A Miszura, José P R Barroso, Gabriela B Oliveira, Analisa V Bertoloni & Alexandre V Pires

  3. Department of Animal Science, State University of Ponta Grossa, General Carlos Cavalcanti Avenue, n. 4748, Ponta Grossa, Paraná, 84030-900, Brazil

    Evandro M Ferreira

Authors
  1. Marcos V Biehl
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  2. Marcos V C Ferraz Junior
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  3. Evandro M Ferreira
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  4. Daniel M Polizel
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  5. Alexandre A Miszura
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  6. José P R Barroso
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  7. Gabriela B Oliveira
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  8. Analisa V Bertoloni
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  9. Alexandre V Pires
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alexandre V Pires.

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The Animal Care and Use Committee from the University of São Paulo approved all procedures with animals.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Biehl, M.V., Ferraz Junior, M.V.C., Ferreira, E.M. et al. Effect of reproductive methods and GnRH administration on long-term protocol in Santa Ines ewes. Trop Anim Health Prod 49, 1303–1308 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1329-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1329-1

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