214 EFFECT OF TIMING OF PGF, eCG, AND ESTRADIOL BENZOATE IN RECIPIENTS SYNCHRONIZED WITH A PROGESTIN-BASED PROTOCOL FOR FIXED-TIME EMBRYO TRANSFER

Abstract

An experiment was designed to evaluate alternative treatment protocols for fixed-time embryo transfer (FTET) in recipients in order to reduce cattle handling. Non-lactating, cycling Bos taurus × Bos indicus beef cows (n = 918), with a body condition score (BCS) of 2.5 to 3.5 out of 5, received a progesterone-releasing device (DIB; Syntex, Buenos Aires, Argentina) and 2 mg estradiol benzoate (EB; Syntex) IM on random days of the cycle (Day 0); DIB were removed on Day 8. Cows were placed randomly into 6 treatment groups in a 3 × 2 factorial design. The factors evaluated were time of administration of PGF and eCG [control treatment: PGF Day 5 and eCG Day 5 (Bo et al. 2002 Theriogenology 57, 53–72); PGF Days 0 and 8 and eCG Day 5; PGF Days 0 and 8 and eCG Day 8] and the time of administration of the second injection of EB (at DIB removal or 24 h later). Therefore, cows in the control treatment received 150 µg of d-Cloprostenol (PGF, Ciclase; Syntex) and 400 IU eCG (Novormon; Syntex) on Day 5, whereas cows in the other 2 treatments received 75 µg of PGF on Days 0 and 8 and 400 IU eCG on either Day 5 or Day 8. Each treatment group was further subdivided to receive 1 mg EB IM on either Day 8 (EB Day 8) or Day 9 (EB Day 9). All recipients, whether observed in estrus or not and with more than one CL with luteal area (total CL area minus cavity area) >76 mm² on the day before embryo transfer, received frozen-thawed embryos (IETS Grade 1) on Day 16 (EB Day 8) or Day 17 (EB Day 9) by direct transfer. Pregnancy was determined by ultrasonography 30 days after FTET. Continuous data were analyzed by ANOVA and pregnancy rates were analyzed by logistic regression. No effects of body condition score or technician were detected (P > 0.1). Although there were no differences in conception rates between recipients treated with EB on Day 8 or Day 9 (168/321, 52.3% vs. 203/350, 58.0%, respectively; P > 0.1), treatment with EB on Day 8 resulted in fewer recipients selected/treated (321/460, 69.7% vs. 350/458, 76.4%; P < 0.05) and pregnant/treated (168/460, 36.5% vs. 203/458, 44.3%; P < 0.05) than 24 h later (EB Day 9), respectively. The mean interval from DIB removal to estrus was shorter (P < 0.05) for recipients in the EB Day 8 (28.1 ± 7.2 h) than in the EB Day 9 (43.5 ± 9.4 h) group, and the mean (± SEM) CL area was also less in the EB Day 8 group than in the EB Day 9 group (261.7 ± 96.7 vs. 293.1 ± 114. mm²; P < 0.05). The number of recipients selected/treated was higher in the group receiving PGF on Days 0 and 8 and eCG on Day 8 (243/305, 79.6%) than in the group receiving PGF on Days 0 and 8 and eCG on Day 5 (208/301, 69.1%) or the control group (220/312, 70.5%). Although the luteal area was greater (P < 0.05) in the PGF on Days 0 and 8 and eCG on Day 5 group (304.4 ± 127.1 mm²) than in the groups receiving PGF and eCG on Day 5 (274.6 ± 98.6 mm²) or PGF on Days 0 and 8 and eCG Day 8 (258.4 ± 90.2 mm²), pregnancy rates did not differ between PGF and eCG treatment groups (P > 0.05). It was concluded that it may be possible to reduce animal handling by treating recipients with a half dose of PGF at the time of DIB insertion and removal, when eCG is also administered, without compromising pregnancy rates.