Use of a deslorelin implant for influencing sex hormones and male behaviour in a stallion – Case report.

This research article discusses a case study of a three-year-old stallion who was given a deslorelin acetate implant to reduce its strong male behavior. The study monitors the changes in hormone levels and behavior in response to this treatment over time.

Details of the Case and Study

• The research focuses on the use of a 4.7-mg deslorelin acetate implant, which was administered subcutaneously (under the skin) to the young stallion showing overly aggressive and unwanted male behaviour.
• Initial behavioral change following the implant was a short-term increase in male behavior.
• However, the horse started displaying ‘gelding-like’ behavior (comparative to that of a neutered male horse) 15 days post-treatment.

Effect on Hormone Level and Behavior

• The study noticed that the horse’s levels of testosterone, oestradiol-17β and oestrone sulphate—hormones related to male genital function and behavior—significantly decreased following the deslorelin implant.
• Contrarily, the levels of LH (luteinizing hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone), two other hormones that play a significant role in the reproductive system, didn’t change after the implant.
• The male behavior of the horse reduced after the treatment, indicating a change in the stallion’s behavior influenced by the deslorelin implant.

Further Observations

• The owner decided to castrate the horse 52 days after the treatment, allowing for an examination (histopathological analysis) of the horse’s testes.
• The examination revealed reduced spermatogenesis (process of sperm cell development) at the time of castration. This was another effect of the deslorelin treatment, indicating that it might also influence fertility in stallions.
• Furthermore, a decrease in testicular volume was noticed post-treatment.

Conclusion

• The results of this case study suggest that subcutaneous application of a deslorelin acetate implant could be a potential tool to modulate the behavior of overly aggressive stallions, and possibly other male animals as well.