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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2015, Vol. 14 Issue (9): 1827-1837    DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61034-6
Animal Science · Veterinary Science Advanced Online Publication | Current Issue | Archive | Adv Search |
Endocrine and ovarian responses in water buffalo cows immunized against inhibin and subjected to the Ovsynch protocol
 Abdalla Bahareldin-Ali, QIN Guang-sheng, GUO Ri-hong, Anastasia Tsigkou, TAN Zheng-zhun, HUANG Jian, LI Hui, LI Hui, SHI Zhen-dan
1、College of Animal Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, P.R.China
2 Key Laboratory of Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction Technology, Guangxi Buffalo Research Institute, Nanning 530000, P.R.China
3、Department of Biological Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou 215123, P.R.China
4、Laboratory of Animal Breeding and Reproduction, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, P.R.China
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摘要  The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of stimulating ovarian follicle development in order to improve fertility in water buffalo cows by immunization against inhibin. The experiment was carried out in early summer (May) and included 24 multi-parity crossbred Murrah-Swamp buffaloes that were divided into immunized (n=11) and control (n=13) groups. Each immunized cow was administered with a 2-mL immunogen of mineral oil adjuvant containing 2 mg of recombinant inhibin α-subunit fusion protein. The controls were treated with the adjuvant only. All animals received Ovsynch protocol treatment, starting on the day of the antigen administration, and they were artificially inseminated upon behavioral estrus. As a result, all of the immunized buffaloes generated antibodies against inhibin during the experimental period and had higher plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), activin, and estradiol (E2) related to estrous expression. A higher proportion of immunized animals expressed estrus behavior than did the controls (72% vs. 30%, P<0.05). On average, inhibin-immunized buffaloes had significantly more large follicles (≥9 mm in diameter) than the controls (mean±SEM; 1.2±0.1 vs. 0.84±0.1, respectively; P<0.05) and a slightly higher mean total number of follicles (≥2 mm; 11.4±0.7 vs. 9.0±1.1, respectively; P=0.09) and small (2–4 mm) follicles (8.81±0.6 vs. 6.84±1.0, respectively; P=0.12). A higher percentage of cows ovulated in the immunized group than in the control group (91% (10/11) vs. 54% (7/13), respectively; P<0.05). Moreover, inhibin-immunized cows had slightly larger corpus luteum (CL) than the controls 9 days after ovulation and significantly higher (P<0.01) post-ovulation peak plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations. Immunization against inhibin also marginally increased the conception rate 42 days after insemination (45.8% vs. 15.4%; P>0.05). These results demonstrate that immunization against inhibin, coupled with the treatment with the Ovsynch protocol, can constitute a new technique to increase fertility in water buffalo cows.

Abstract  The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility of stimulating ovarian follicle development in order to improve fertility in water buffalo cows by immunization against inhibin. The experiment was carried out in early summer (May) and included 24 multi-parity crossbred Murrah-Swamp buffaloes that were divided into immunized (n=11) and control (n=13) groups. Each immunized cow was administered with a 2-mL immunogen of mineral oil adjuvant containing 2 mg of recombinant inhibin α-subunit fusion protein. The controls were treated with the adjuvant only. All animals received Ovsynch protocol treatment, starting on the day of the antigen administration, and they were artificially inseminated upon behavioral estrus. As a result, all of the immunized buffaloes generated antibodies against inhibin during the experimental period and had higher plasma concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), activin, and estradiol (E2) related to estrous expression. A higher proportion of immunized animals expressed estrus behavior than did the controls (72% vs. 30%, P<0.05). On average, inhibin-immunized buffaloes had significantly more large follicles (≥9 mm in diameter) than the controls (mean±SEM; 1.2±0.1 vs. 0.84±0.1, respectively; P<0.05) and a slightly higher mean total number of follicles (≥2 mm; 11.4±0.7 vs. 9.0±1.1, respectively; P=0.09) and small (2–4 mm) follicles (8.81±0.6 vs. 6.84±1.0, respectively; P=0.12). A higher percentage of cows ovulated in the immunized group than in the control group (91% (10/11) vs. 54% (7/13), respectively; P<0.05). Moreover, inhibin-immunized cows had slightly larger corpus luteum (CL) than the controls 9 days after ovulation and significantly higher (P<0.01) post-ovulation peak plasma progesterone (P4) concentrations. Immunization against inhibin also marginally increased the conception rate 42 days after insemination (45.8% vs. 15.4%; P>0.05). These results demonstrate that immunization against inhibin, coupled with the treatment with the Ovsynch protocol, can constitute a new technique to increase fertility in water buffalo cows.
Keywords:  inhibin immunization       ovarian responses       luteal function       hormonal patterns       conception rate       water buffalo cows  
Received: 15 September 2014   Accepted:
Fund: 

This work was supported by the National Key Technology R&D Program of China (2011BAD19B02-6), the Open Grant of Guangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Water Buffalo Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, China (SNKF-2012-04).

Corresponding Authors:  SHI Zhen-dan,Mobile: +86-13913888894, E-mail: zdshi@jaas.ac.cn     E-mail:  zdshi@jaas.ac.cn
About author:  Abdalla Bahareldin-ali, Mobile: +86-13640261354,E-mail: abdalla406@163.com;

Cite this article: 

Abdalla Bahareldin-Ali, QIN Guang-sheng, GUO Ri-hong, Anastasia Tsigkou, TAN Zheng-zhun, HUANG Jian, LI Hui, LI Hui, SHI Zhen-dan. 2015. Endocrine and ovarian responses in water buffalo cows immunized against inhibin and subjected to the Ovsynch protocol. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 14(9): 1827-1837.

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