Ovarian function following immunocontraceptive vaccination of mares using native porcine and recombinant zona pellucida vaccines formulated with a non-Freund’s adjuvant and anti-GnRH vaccines.
Abstract: An important determinant in the selection of any contraceptive agent is the impact on ovarian function, both in the short and longer term. In this study, ovarian activity was monitored in mares immunised with one of the following vaccine formulations; native porcine zona pellucida (pZP), recombinant zona pellucida proteins ZP3 and ZP4 (reZP), pZP and reZP combined or a commercially available anti-GnRH vaccine. The ZP antigens were prepared in an adjuvant formulation consisting of 6% polymeric adjuvant (Montanide™ PetGel A, Seppic, France) and 500 μg polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid - TLR3-agonist (Poly(I:C) HMW VacciGrade™, Invivogen, USA). A vehicle-only control group was administered the adjuvant formulation without antigen. Ovarian activity was monitored using clinical observations (transrectal palpation and ultrasonography of the reproductive tract) in addition to blood sampling for serum progesterone and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations while employing a low sampling frequency. Treatments and measurements were initiated in December (southern hemisphere summer) and subsequent data collection was performed in January, February, March and May. Both reZP and anti-GnRH vaccination were associated with clinically evident ovarian suppression in the short term. Ovarian activity in mares administered a reZP or anti-GnRH vaccine was significantly different to adjuvant control and pZP treated mares. Serum AMH concentrations were different between pZP and anti-GnRH treated mares 3.5 months after the final vaccination. Serum AMH concentrations were significantly correlated with mare age, serum progesterone and ovarian volume.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Publication Date: 2018-08-02 PubMed ID: 30099144DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.07.044Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research investigates the impact of various contraceptive vaccines on the ovarian activity of mares. The vaccines tested include native porcine zona pellucida (pZP), recombinant zona pellucida proteins ZP3 and ZP4 (reZP), pZP and reZP combined or a commercially available anti-GnRH vaccine in combination with a specific adjuvant formulation. Contraceptive efficacy was assessed based on ovarian suppression, serum levels of progesterone, and anti-Müllerian hormone concentrations.
Vaccine Formulations Tested
- The research tries different vaccine formulations to assess their impact on ovarian activity. These include native porcine zona pellucida (pZP), recombinant zona pellucida proteins ZP3 and ZP4 (reZP), a combination of pZP and reZP, and a commercially available anti-GnRH vaccine.
- The zona pellucida (ZP) proteins were formulated with a 6% polymeric adjuvant, Montanide™ PetGel A, and polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid—TLR3-agonist, Poly(I:C) HMW VacciGrade™.
- A control group was treated with the adjuvant formulation without any antigen.
Monitoring of Ovarian Activity
- Ovarian activity was gauged using clinical observations such as transrectal palpation and ultrasound imaging of the mares’ reproductive tracts. This was supplemented by blood sampling to measure serum concentrations of progesterone and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH).
- The research spanned from December (southern hemisphere summer) to the following May, with data collected each month.
Results and Findings
- Vaccination with both reZP and anti-GnRH showed clear signs of ovarian suppression in the short term.
- The ovarian activity in mares treated with reZP or anti-GnRH vaccine differed significantly from that in mares treated with the adjuvant control and pZP.
- Unique serum AMH concentrations were observed in pZP and anti-GnRH treated mares 3.5 months after the final vaccination.
- Notably, a correlation was observed between mare age, serum progesterone levels, and ovarian volume, and the serum AMH concentrations.
Cite This Article
APA
Nolan MB, Bertschinger HJ, Roth R, Crampton M, Martins IS, Fosgate GT, Stout TA, Schulman ML.
(2018).
Ovarian function following immunocontraceptive vaccination of mares using native porcine and recombinant zona pellucida vaccines formulated with a non-Freund’s adjuvant and anti-GnRH vaccines.
Theriogenology, 120, 111-116.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2018.07.044 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Veterinary Population Management Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. Electronic address: margaret.nolan@up.ac.za.
- Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Veterinary Population Management Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. Electronic address: henkbert@tiscali.co.za.
- BioSciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa. Electronic address: rroth@csir.co.za.
- BioSciences, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Pretoria, South Africa.
- Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. Electronic address: isabela.salles@up.ac.za.
- Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. Electronic address: geoffrey.fosgate@up.ac.za.
- Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Department of Equine Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. Electronic address: t.a.e.stout@uu.nl.
- Section of Reproduction, Department of Production Animal Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa; Veterinary Population Management Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. Electronic address: martin.schulman@up.ac.za.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Anti-Mullerian Hormone / blood
- Chemotherapy, Adjuvant
- Contraception, Immunologic / veterinary
- Female
- Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / immunology
- Horses
- Ovary / drug effects
- Ovary / physiology
- Swine
- Vaccines, Contraceptive / therapeutic use
- Zona Pellucida / immunology
Citations
This article has been cited 5 times.- Carnet F, Perrin-Cocon L, Paillot R, Lotteau V, Pronost S, Vidalain PO. An inventory of adjuvants used for vaccination in horses: the past, the present and the future. Vet Res 2023 Mar 2;54(1):18.
- French H, Segabinazzi L, Middlebrooks B, Peterson E, Schulman M, Roth R, Crampton M, Conan A, Marchi S, Gilbert T, Knobel D, Bertschinger H. Efficacy and Safety of Native and Recombinant Zona Pellucida Immunocontraceptive Vaccines Formulated with Non-Freund's Adjuvants in Donkeys. Vaccines (Basel) 2022 Nov 24;10(12).
- Aurich C, Kaps M. Suppression of reproductive behaviour and gonadal function in female horses-An update. Reprod Domest Anim 2022 Sep;57 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):4-12.
- Asa CS, Moresco A. Fertility Control in Wildlife: Review of Current Status, Including Novel and Future Technologies. Adv Exp Med Biol 2026;16:605-645.
- Wang C, Yang C, Zeng Y, Zhang M. GnRH-immunocastration: an alternative method for male animal surgical castration. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1248879.
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