363 EFFECT OF OESTRADIOL VALERATE OR BENZOATE ON INDUCTION OF A NEW FOLLICULAR WAVE EMERGENCE IN BOS INDICUS COWS AND HEIFERS TREATED WITH NORGESTOMET AURICULAR IMPLANT

Abstract

Estradiol given during progestin-treatment promotes emergence of a new follicular wave in cattle. The interval from estradiol treatment to follicular wave emergence is dependent on the estradiol preparation, the dose, and possibly the animal category (cows or heifers). Therefore, this experiment aimed to compare the effects of either estradiol benzoate (EB) or estradiol valerate (EV) on the synchrony of ovarian follicular wave emergence in Bos indicus (Nelore) heifers and cows treated with a Norgestomet implant (Crestar^®; Intervet, Boxmeer, The Netherlands; factorial 3 × 2 design). Lactating cows (n = 30; 70-90 days postpartum) and cycling heifers (n = 29) were homogeneously assigned, according to the presence of corpora lutea, to six experimental groups (G2EB, G2.5EV, and G5EV for each animal category). At random stages of the estrous cycle (Day 0), the females received an auricular implant and were assigned to receive 2 mg of EB (Farmavet, São Paulo, Brazil; 10 cows and 10 heifers; G2EB), 2.5 mg of EV plus 1.5 mg of Norgestomet (10 cows and 10 heifers; G2.5EV; half of a recommended dose), or 5 mg of EV plus 3 mg of Norgestomet (10 cows and 10 heifers; G5EV, full recommended dose) i.m. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed once daily from Day 0 to confirm the follicular dominance (new growing dominant follicle >8 mm in diameter). The day of wave emergence was retrospectively defined as the day when the dominant follicle was first detected at a diameter of 3 mm. Two-way analysis of variance was used to compare the effects of treatments (G2EB, G2.5EV, and G5EV), category (cows and heifers), and the treatments-by-category interaction on the interval from beginning of the treatment to wave emergence. The LSD was used to locate differences among groups and the Bartlett's test revealed heterogeneity of variance. Statistical analysis was conducted by SAS for Windows (SAS Institute, Inc., Cary, NC, USA). There was a significant effect of treatment and category (P < 0.001), but there were no treatments-by-category interactions (P > 0.05). A new follicular wave was induced in all animals after treatment with EB or EV. The heifers given G2EB (2.50 ± 0.19^a; 2 to 3^x days) had a reduced (P < 0.01) and least variable interval (P < 0.05) than those given G2.5EV (4.20 ± 0.27^b; 3 to 6^xy days) or G5EV (6.10 ± 0.57^c; 3 to 8^y days). The cows given G5EV (4.00 ± 0.52^b; 2 to 6^y days) had the longest (P = 0.05) and more variable interval (P < 0.001) than those given G2EB (2.50 ± 0.22^a; 2 to 4^x days), but were similar to those given G2.5EV (3.10 ± 0.41^ab; 2 to 6^xy days). The effect of EB was similar in heifers and cows (P > 0.05); however, the EV or 2.5EV promoted a longer emergence wave interval in the heifers than in the cows (P < 0.05). Analyzing the main effects, cows and heifers given G2EB (2.50 ± 0.15^a; 2 to 4^x days) had a smaller and less variable interval than those given G2.5EV (3.65 ± 0.27^b; 2 to 6^y) or G5EV (5.05 ± 0.44^c; 2 to 8^z). In conclusion, the EV treatment, in both doses (5 or 2.5 mg), resulted in a delayed and more variable interval to emergence of a new follicular wave than 2 mg of EB in Bos indicus cows and heifers treated with a Norgestomet auricular implant.

This work was supported by Intervet, Brazil.