Serial measurement of peripheral oestrogen and progesterone concentrations in oestrous mares to determine optimum mating time and diagnose ovulation.
Abstract: Rapid enzyme-based immunoassays were used to measure concentrations of oestradiol-17 beta and progesterone in daily blood samples recovered throughout oestrus and for a few days after ovulation from 34 Thoroughbred and 8 pony-type maiden, barren and foaling mares. The first detectable fall in oestradiol-17 beta levels occurred in 88% of the mares within the interval -72 to 0 h with respect to ovulation and in 65% of mares within the interval of -48 to 0 h. The results indicated that serial daily hormone assays of this type could, in a high proportion of animals, predict a correct time for a single mating and diagnose the occurrence of ovulation in Thoroughbred mares at stud in the absence of the present management system which includes repeated veterinary examinations of the ovaries. However, the absolute need for serial daily sampling from all mares to produce interpretable hormone profiles, and the cost of this sampling and the hormone assays, make the method impractical at the present time.
Publication Date: 1995-11-01 PubMed ID: 8565943DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb04427.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The study explores the use of an enzyme-based immunoassay to monitor the levels of two hormones, oestradiol and progesterone, in horse breeds, with the aim of predicting the optimal time for mating and identifying ovulation. However, despite promising results, the current requirements for daily sampling and associated costs render this method impractical for now.
Methodology
- The research team used an enzyme-based immunoassay technique to measure the concentrations of two hormones associated with fertility, oestradiol-17 beta and progesterone.
- Blood samples were collected daily throughout the oestrus cycle, and for a few days after ovulation. The animals involved in the study were 34 Thoroughbred and 8 pony-type mares, including maiden, barren and foaling mares.
Findings
- In most tested mares (88%), the researchers noticed the first observable decrease in the levels of oestradiol-17 beta within the period of -72 to 0 hours relative to ovulation. In 65% of the mares, this drop was noted within the -48 to 0 hour interval.
- These findings suggest that this method could predict, with high accuracy, the correct time for a single mating and also diagnose the occurrence of ovulation in Thoroughbred mares, without the need for current management practices, such as repeated veterinary examinations of the ovaries.
Limitations
- This method requires daily blood sampling from the mares, which can be challenging and costly to implement efficiently.
- The cost associated with performing the hormonal assays also poses a significant obstacle to the practical application of the technique at this time.
Conclusion
- While the enzyme-based immunoassay method has been found useful in predicting optimal mating times and diagnosing ovulation in mares, the need for daily blood sampling and the cost of hormone assays are significant impediments to its practical application.
- Further research and development are required to streamline this process or find more cost-effective methods to achieve the same results.
Cite This Article
APA
Allen WR, Mathias S, Lennard SN, Greenwood RE.
(1995).
Serial measurement of peripheral oestrogen and progesterone concentrations in oestrous mares to determine optimum mating time and diagnose ovulation.
Equine Vet J, 27(6), 460-464.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2042-3306.1995.tb04427.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Thoroughbred Breeders' Association Equine Fertility Unit, Mertoun Paddocks, Newmarket, Suffolk, UK.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Estradiol / blood
- Estrogens / blood
- Estrus / blood
- Estrus / physiology
- Female
- Horses / blood
- Horses / physiology
- Immunoenzyme Techniques / standards
- Ovary / physiology
- Ovulation / physiology
- Ovulation Detection / veterinary
- Progesterone / blood
- Sexual Behavior, Animal / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Gibson C, de Ruijter-Villani M, Bauersachs S, Stout TAE. Asynchronous Embryo Transfer Followed by Comparative Transcriptomic Analysis of Conceptus Membranes and Endometrium Identifies Processes Important to the Establishment of Equine Pregnancy. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Apr 7;21(7).
- Crossett B, Allen WR, Stewart F. A 19 kDa protein secreted by the endometrium of the mare is a novel member of the lipocalin family. Biochem J 1996 Nov 15;320 ( Pt 1)(Pt 1):137-43.
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