Use of a new drug delivery formulation of the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue Deslorelin for reversible long-term contraception in male dogs
A. Junaidi A D , P. E. Williamson A , J. M. Cummins A , G. B. Martin B E , M. A. Blackberry B and T. E. Trigg CA Division of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
B Faculty of Natural & Agricultural Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.
C Peptech Animal Health Pty Ltd, 35–41 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113, Australia.
D Present address: Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Gadjah Mada University, Sekip Unit II, Yogyakarta 55281, Indonesia.
E To whom correspondence should be addressed. email: gmartin@agric.uwa.edu.au
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 15(6) 317-322 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD03039
Submitted: 19 June 2003 Accepted: 17 November 2003 Published: 17 November 2003
Abstract
In the present study, we tested the effect of treatment with a slow-release implant containing the gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist DeslorelinTM (Peptech Animal Health Australia, North Ryde, NSW, Australia) on pituitary and testicular function in mature male dogs. Four dogs were treated with Deslorelin (6-mg implant) and four were used as controls (blank implant). In control dogs, there were no significant changes over the 12 months of the study in plasma concentrations of luteinising hormone (LH) or testosterone, or in testicular volume, semen output or semen quality. In Deslorelin-treated dogs, plasma concentrations of LH and testosterone were undetectable after 21 and 27 days, testicular volume fell to 35% of pretreatment values after 14 weeks and no ejaculates could be obtained after 6 weeks. Concentrations returned to the detectable range for testosterone after 44 weeks and for LH after 51 weeks and both were within the normal range after 52 weeks. Semen characteristics had recovered completely by 60 weeks after implantation. At this time, the testes and prostate glands were similar histologically to those of control dogs. We conclude that a single slow-release implant containing 6 mg Deslorelin has potential as a long-term, reversible antifertility agent for male dogs.
Extra keywords: luteinising hormone
Acknowledgments
This work was funded, in part, by a grant from Peptech Animal Health (North Ryde, NSW, Australia) and a postgraduate scholarship from AusAID. The authors thank Dr Anne Barnes, Dr Katryn Wilks and James Murray of Murdoch University for their guidance and assistance. The reagents for the gonadotrophin assays were provided by the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive & Kidney Disease (Bethesda, MD, USA) and Dr AF Parlow (Pituitary Hormones and Antisera Center, Harbour-UCLA Medical Center, Torrance, CA, USA). Dr RI Cox (CSIRO Division of Animal Production, Prospect, NSW, Australia) kindly donated the testosterone-3-CMO-HSA.
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