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. 2023 Nov;9(6):2835-2843.
doi: 10.1002/vms3.1269. Epub 2023 Sep 19.

Timing of ovulation in the fat-tailed Qezel ewes after synchronization with vaginal devices containing endogenous or exogenous synthetic progestogens during out of the breeding season

Alireza Hamisi  1 , Mohsen Eslami  1 , Farhad Farrokhi-Ardabili  2 , Sina Bahmani  1
Affiliations

Timing of ovulation in the fat-tailed Qezel ewes after synchronization with vaginal devices containing endogenous or exogenous synthetic progestogens during out of the breeding season

Alireza Hamisi et al. Vet Med Sci. 2023 Nov.

Abstract

Background: Wide range of ovulation distribution is the main restricting factor in establishing the pregnancy following oestrus synchronization (ES) and fixed time insemination (FTI) in sheep.

Objectives: Determining the ovulation time (OVT) following ES with two different vaginal devices, its relation to progesterone and conception upon FTI with frozen/thawed semen.

Methods: Oestrus was synchronized using either controlled internal drug release (CIDR) (ewe, n = 6; ewe lamb, n = 5) or vaginal sponge (ewe, n = 6; ewe lamb, n = 5) insertion for 12 days, plus Equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) at devices removal (Day 0). Sizes of the ovarian follicles were measured using transvaginal probe at -12, 0 and 30-33, 53 h and continued every 3-4 h until 75 h after eCG treatment. Serum progesterone amounts were measured at -12, 0, +2 and +11. Laparoscopic FTI was done at 60.5 ± 0.5 h.

Results: The CIDR-treated group initiated and completed ovulations earlier compared to sponge-treated females (median: 64 vs. 71 h; p < 0.05). Ewe lambs were ovulated earlier compared to ewes in the sponge-treated group (66.71 vs. 71.5; p = 0.017). Mean sizes of ovulatory follicles and corpora lutea were not affected by device types. Higher amounts of progesterone were observed in CIDR group compared to sponge-treated group at device removal (2.68 ± 0.12 vs. 0.30 ± 0.01 ng/mL; p < 0.001). The conception was confirmed in 2/10, and 5/11 females of sponge and CIDR-treated females, respectively.

Conclusions: Types of progestogens influence the OVT, and consequently the result of FTI with frozen/thawed semen. The optimum timespan for FTI should be chosen according to the device types during non-breeding season.

Keywords: CIDR; laparoscopic insemination; oestrus synchronization; ovulation time; vaginal sponge.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors had no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
The time line of experiment.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Distributions of first ovulation in fat‐tailed Qezel females at different timespans after oestrus synchronization with controlled internal drug release (CIDR)/vaginal sponge + equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), outside the breeding season. ‘□’ shows the CIDR, and ‘■’ represents the sponge received group, respectively.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Distributions of all ovulation in fat‐tailed Qezel females at different timespans after oestrus synchronization with controlled internal drug release (CIDR)/vaginal sponge + equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG), outside the breeding season. A total of 18 and 15 follicles were ovulated from 11 and 10 females in the CIDR and sponge groups, respectively. ‘□’ shows the CIDR, and ‘■’ represent the sponge received group, respectively.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Mean progesterone (P4; ng/mL) concentrations of controlled internal drug release (CIDR) and sponge received groups at device insertion (−12), device withdrawal (0), laparoscopic artificial insemination (A.I.) (+2), and Day 9 after insemination (D +11 of experiment). Higher progesterone amounts were detected in CIDR received group at the time of device removal compared to sponge primed females. ‘□’ shows the CIDR, and ‘■’ represents the sponge received group, respectively.
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