Luteal lifespan and fertility after estrus synchronization in goats

The present experiment aims to examine the efficiency of estrus synchronization using progesterone and equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and to look at luteal function. During the non-breeding and breeding season, 5 adult female Korean native goats were injected intramuscularly with 2.5 ml of physiological saline as the control. A progesterone impregnated intravaginal sponge was then kept in the same goats for 10 days followed, after a week, by an intramuscular injection of 500 IU eCG. Five adult female Nubian goats were mated with a fertile buck during the non-breeding season. During the non-breeding season 2 of the 5 goats showed a normal estrous cycle (ranging from 18 to 21 days) and 3 a short estrous cycle (ranging from 3 to 6 days). During the breeding season the equivalent figures were 1 and 2. The major axes of the corpus luteum (CL) were measured by means of calipers built into the ultrasonography system, and the concentrations of plasma progesterone (P(4)) were determined by double antibody radioimmunoassay. The mean major axes of the CL in goats showing the short cycle (6.1 +/- 0.5 mm) was significantly smaller than in those showing the normal cycle (8.9 +/- 0.5 mm; p < 0.01) and also the value of P4 in goats showing the short cycle (4.2 +/- 2.1 ng/ml) was significantly lower than for those showing the normal cycle (10.3 +/- 4.3 ng/ml; p < 0.05) at day 3 following ovulation. Three out of 5 Nubian goats became pregnant but only one goat carried to full term. The present experiment indicated that a combination of progesterone and eCG was effective in inducing estrus, although it resulted in a high incidence of short luteal lifespan. The low kidding rate and high incidence of embryonic loss may be due to the instability of the luteal lifespan.

Evaluation of the effect of a 3rd GnRH injection administered six days after the 2nd GnRH injection of Ovsynch on the reproductive performance of Japanese black cows

This study was designed to evaluate the reproductive performance of Japanese black cows following the 3rd injection of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) analogue administered concurrently with Ovsynch-based treatment on day 6 (day 1 = the day of ovulation). In Experiment 1, 12 cows were allocated into three groups: a control group that was subjected to Ovsynch treatment and then injected with a placebo on day 6; group 1 (Ovsynch + GnRH), which was subjected to Ovsynch treatment and was injected with GnRH analogue on day 6, and group 2 (Ovsynch + controlled internal drug-release (CIDR) + GnRH), which received Ovsynch-CIDR treatment and was injected with GnRH analogue on day 6. Blood collection and ultrasonographic observation of the ovaries were conducted daily. Both treatments induced the formation of an accessory corpus luteum and significantly increased the cross-sectional area of the luteal tissue when compared to the control. However, plasma progesterone (P(4)) was significantly higher in the treatment groups than in the control group on days 11, 12, 17 and 18 in the group 1 and from day 10 to 21 in the group 2. In Experiment 2, 41 cows were assigned to the same three groups described above and then artificially inseminated on day 1. The pregnancy rates on day 45 did not differ among groups. In conclusion, administration of GnRH analogue on day 6 following Ovsynch-based treatment did not improve the reproductive performance of Japanese black cows, even though the P(4) concentration was higher in groups that received the GnRH.