Endocrine changes induced by GnRH immunisation and subsequent early re-stimulation of testicular function with a GnRH agonist in stallions
Camille Gautier
A * , Jörg Aurich B , Maria Melchert B , Lisa-Hélène Wagner A , Martim Kaps A , Carolina T. C. Okada A , Reinhard Ertl C , Ingrid Walter C D and Christine Aurich A
A
B
C
D
Abstract
Resumption of testicular function after gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunisation varies among individual animals and some stallions regain fertility only after a prolonged time.
This study evaluated endocrine effects of GnRH immunisation and early subsequent re-stimulation with a GnRH agonist. We hypothesised that GnRH agonist treatment advances resumption of normal endocrine function in GnRH-vaccinated stallions.
Shetland stallions were assigned to an experimental and a control group (n = 6 each). Experimental stallions were GnRH-immunised twice, 4 weeks apart. Each experimental stallion was hemicastrated together with an age-matched control animal when testosterone concentration decreased below 0.3 ng/mL. Three weeks later, daily treatment with the GnRH agonist buserelin was initiated (4 μg/day for 4 weeks followed by 8 μg/day). The remaining testicle was removed when testosterone concentration exceeded 0.5 ng/mL in vaccinated stallions. Blood was collected for LH, FSH, oestradiol and anti-müllerian hormone (AMH) analyses, and testicular and epididymal tissue were conserved for real-time qPCR and histology.
GnRH vaccination reduced blood concentrations of LH and FSH, with a structural deterioration of testicular tissue and disruption of spermatogenesis. Daily buserelin treatment for approximately 60 days partially restored gonadotropin secretion and induced a recovery of the functional organisation of the testicular tissue with effective spermatogenesis.
Endocrine testicular function can be restored in GnRH-vaccinated stallions by daily low-dose buserelin treatment. The buserelin treatment protocol may potentially be improved regarding the dose, interval and duration.
Daily buserelin treatment can be recommended for treatment of GnRH-vaccinated stallions with prolonged inhibition of testicular function.
Keywords: buserelin, CYP19A1, FSH, GnRH vaccination, horse, LH, reproduction, testis.
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