Effect of a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone antagonist on luteinising hormone secretion and early pregnancy in gilts
J. V. Virolainen A B C , R. J. Love B , A. Tast A and O. A. T. Peltoniemi AA University of Helsinki, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Pohjoinen Pikatie 800, 04920 Saarentaus, Finland.
B University of Sydney, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Department of Clinical Veterinary Sciences, Camden, NSW 2570, Australia.
C To whom correspondence should be addressed. email: juha.v.virolainen@helsinki.fi
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 15(8) 451-459 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD03050
Submitted: 15 July 2003 Accepted: 11 February 2004 Published: 12 March 2004
Abstract
The aims of the present study were: (1) to determine the duration of suppression of luteinising hormone (LH) following a single treatment with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist (BIM-21009; Biomeasure) at a dose of 100 μg kg−1; (2) to block LH pulses only for certain days of pregnancy; and (3) to determine the period of early pregnancy most susceptible to suppression of LH. Three groups of gilts were injected with 100 μg kg−1 on Day 16 (n = 5), 14 (n = 6) or 19 (n = 4) of pregnancy. Blood for LH analysis was collected at 20-min intervals for 12 h on the day before treatment and during varying stages of early pregnancy. Blood for progesterone analysis was collected daily and development of pregnancy was followed using real-time ultrasound. Prior to treatment, gilts had 2.6 ± 0.7 LH pulses per 12 h. The GnRH antagonist abolished LH pulses for a period of 2.7 ± 1.8 days and, thereafter, suppressed the resumed LH pulses (P < 0.05). Pregnancy was disrupted in three pigs (20%) with a mean treatment-to-abortion period of 4.7 days concurrent with a mean treatment-to-progesterone decline interval of 4.3 days. In a proportion of pigs, short-term LH suppression may cause early disruption of pregnancy.
Acknowledgments
Hillcrest Park piggery at Menangle, NSW, is acknowledged for providing gilts for the present study. The staff and fellow students of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Camden are acknowledged for their help with the intensive blood sampling. Kim Heasman is acknowledged for assistance with the LH and progesterone assays.
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