Superovulation and embryo production in Bubalus bubalis)

Abstract

The aim of the present research work
was to optimize ovarian superovulation rate and the
embryo production in Murrah and Mediterranean
buffaloes around the 60th day after parturition. Fourteen
animals were divided in two groups of 7 animals each,
G1 (treated animals) and G2 (untreated animals). All
animals were subjected to a step of oestrus
synchronization by receiving at the 0 day (OD) a vaginal
pressary with progestagen (CIDR-B, Intervet), followed
by the administration, in the morning of the day 1 (D1),
of 3 mg stradiol benzoate IM (Estrogin, Farmavet, SP).
The ovarian superovulation (SO) was carried out daily,
at intervals of 12 hours in the morning and the afternoon
by means of the administration of follicule stimulant
hormone (FSH) (Pluset, Serono, Italy) in both groups of
experimental animals, during four days according to the
following protocol: at the 6th day, 75 IU; at the 7th day, 40
IU; at the 8th day, 30 IU; and at the 9th day, 20 IU. At the
afternoon of the 8th day, administration of 500 µg of
cloprostenol IM (Closin-Schering-Plough) was performed
followed by the withdraw of the vaginal pessaries from
all animals. Then, observations on the estrus of the
experimental animals has been carried out. For this
purpose the animals were inseminated twice at intervals
of 12 hours. Additionaly, all animals from the G1, together
with the first artificial insemination (AI) received a dose
of 3000 UI of gonadotrophic chorionic hormone (GCH)
(Vetecor, Calier, IV) while the G2 animals received 1 ml
of saline as placebo. All animals from both G1 and G2
groups had their ovaries monitored by ultrasonography
from the first day of the AI up to the day when they had
their embryos collected. Ultrasography has been carried
out by means of an Aloka SSD-550 (Japan) instrument
aiming to evaluate the follicles, the ovulation, and the
corpora lutea. At the 5.5th after the estrus observation a
washing of the uterine cornus has been carried out for
the embryos harvesting and evaluation. According to the
present experiment, it was possible to conclude that the protocol used to promote superovulation (SO) in
buffaloes by means of FSH showed to be efficient
resulting in the production of significant number of antral
follicles larger than 8.0 mm diameter at the estrus day
and that the gonadotropohic corionic hormone showed
significant efficiency by displaying larger percentual
ovulations in the treated group (p<0.05). In regard to
the number of embryos collected no significant
differences were detected between both the
experimental groups.