Effect of intrauterine treatment with prostaglandin E2 prior to insemination of mares in the uterine horn or body.
Abstract: Two trials were conducted to investigate the effects of intrauterine infusion of PGE2 and uterine horn insemination on pregnancy rates in mares achieved by breeding with a suboptimal number of normal spermatozoa. Estrus was synchronized and mares were teased daily with a stallion to detect estrus. Mares in estrus were examined by transrectal palpation and ultrasonography to monitor follicular status. On the first day a 35-mm diameter follicle was present, hCG (1500 IU, iv) was administered and the mares were bred the next day. Mares (Trial 1, n = 34; Trial 2, n = 28) were inseminated with 25 million total spermatozoa from either a stallion with good semen quality (Trial 1) or poor semen quality (Trial 2). In each trial, mares were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups as follows: Group PGE-HI - infusion of 0.25 mg PGE2 into the proximal end of the uterine horn ipsilateral to the dominant follicle 2 h prior to insemination in the proximal end of the same uterine horn; Group PGE-BI - infusion of 0.25 mg PGE2 into the proximal end of the uterine horn ipsilateral to the dominant follicle 2 h prior to insemination in the uterine body; Group SAL-HI - infusion of 1 mL sterile saline into the proximal end of the uterine horn ipsilateral to the dominant follicle 2 h prior to insemination in the proximal end of the same uterine horn; or Group SAL-BI - infusion of 1 mL sterile saline into the proximal end of the uterine horn ipsilateral to the dominant follicle 2 h prior to insemination in the uterine body. After breeding, mares were examined daily by transrectal ultrasonography to confirm ovulation, and were re-examined 14 to 16 d after ovulation for pregnancy status. Data were analyzed by Chi-square. Overall pregnancy rates were 59% for stallion 1 and 29% for stallion 2. Group pregnancy rates did not differ for mares bred by either stallion (P > 0.10). Pregnancy rates were not altered by horn insemination for either stallion (P > 0.10). Intrauterine infusion of PGE2 improved pregnancy rate in mares bred by the stallion with good quality semen (P 0.10). Further research is warranted to determine if intrauterine infusion of PGE2 will enhance spermatozoal colonization of the oviduct and pregnancy rates in mares, and if PGE-treatment will improve pregnancy rates achieved by subfertile stallions.
Publication Date: 2000-09-01 PubMed ID: 10968425DOI: 10.1016/s0093-691x(00)00318-6Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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This study investigates the impact of infusing prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) into the uterus prior to insemination, along with where insemination takes place (uterine horn or body), on mares’ pregnancy rates when bred with a low number of normal spermatozoa. The results suggest intrauterine infusion of PGE2 can improve pregnancy rates when good quality semen is used, but not with poor quality semen.
Methods and Groups
- The study was organized into two trials involving estrus-synchronized mares. Daily tests were conducted to detect estrus.
- The mares’ follicular statuses were monitored using transrectal palpation and ultrasonography.
- When a 35-mm diameter follicle was present, the mares were given an intravenous dose of hCG (1500 IU) and then bred the following day.
- In both trials, mares were inseminated using 25 million total spermatozoa from either a stallion with good quality semen (Trial 1) or poor quality semen (Trial 2).
- The mares were split into four groups for treatment. These were:
- Group PGE-HI: Infusion of 0.25 mg PGE2 into the proximal end of the uterine horn on the same side as the dominant follicle 2 hours prior to insemination in the proximal end of the same uterine horn.
- Group PGE-BI: Infusion of 0.25 mg PGE2 into the proximal end of the uterine horn on the same side as the dominant follicle 2 hours prior to insemination in the uterine body.
- Group SAL-HI: Infusion of 1 mL sterile saline into the proximal end of the uterine horn on the same side as the dominant follicle 2 hours prior to insemination in the proximal end of the same uterine horn.
- Group SAL-BI: Infusion of 1 mL sterile saline into the proximal end of the uterine horn on the same side as the dominant follicle 2 hours prior to insemination in the uterine body.
- Post-breeding, the mares were examined daily using transrectal ultrasonography to confirm ovulation, and then again 14 to 16 days post-ovulation to check for pregnancy.
Findings
- The overall pregnancy rates were 59% for the stallion with good quality semen and 29% for the one with poor quality semen.
- No significant difference was noted in pregnancy rates across the treatment groups for mares bred by either stallion.
- Horn insemination did not affect pregnancy rates for either type of semen.
- PGE2 infusion improved pregnancy rates when the stallion with good quality semen was used, but didn’t alter rates for the one with poor quality semen.
- The researchers mentioned that further studies are needed to explore whether PGE2 infusion could help enhance the colonization of spermatozoa in the oviduct and improve mares’ pregnancy rates, and if PGE-treatment could help boost pregnancy rates achieved using subfertile stallions.
Cite This Article
APA
Woods J, Rigby S, Brinsko S, Stephens R, Varner D, Blanchard T.
(2000).
Effect of intrauterine treatment with prostaglandin E2 prior to insemination of mares in the uterine horn or body.
Theriogenology, 53(9), 1827-1836.
https://doi.org/10.1016/s0093-691x(00)00318-6 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, College of Veterinary Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-4475, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Chorionic Gonadotropin / administration & dosage
- Dinoprost / administration & dosage
- Dinoprostone / administration & dosage
- Dinoprostone / pharmacology
- Dinoprostone / physiology
- Estradiol / physiology
- Estrus Synchronization
- Female
- Horses / physiology
- Insemination, Artificial / methods
- Insemination, Artificial / veterinary
- Male
- Pregnancy
- Progesterone / physiology
- Random Allocation
- Reproduction / physiology
- Semen / physiology
- Sperm Motility / physiology
- Ultrasonography, Prenatal / veterinary
- Uterus / drug effects
- Uterus / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Umehara T, Tsujita N, Zhu Z, Ikedo M, Shimada M. A simple sperm-sexing method that activates TLR7/8 on X sperm for the efficient production of sexed mouse or cattle embryos. Nat Protoc 2020 Aug;15(8):2645-2667.
- Ross KA, Kolb DS, Macedo A, Anderson M, Klein C. Seminal plasma does not aid in the transport of phenolsulfonphthalein across the uterotubal junction in mares. Can Vet J 2018 Sep;59(9):988-992.
- Das PJ, McCarthy F, Vishnoi M, Paria N, Gresham C, Li G, Kachroo P, Sudderth AK, Teague S, Love CC, Varner DD, Chowdhary BP, Raudsepp T. Stallion sperm transcriptome comprises functionally coherent coding and regulatory RNAs as revealed by microarray analysis and RNA-seq. PLoS One 2013;8(2):e56535.
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