Helcimar Barbosa Palhano

Avaliação embrionária e fetal por ultrassonografia em fêmeas bovinas leiteiras mestiças submetidas à inseminação artificial ou inseminação artificial em tempo fixo

Between the years 2013 and 2016 were used 31 crossbred cows of Gir and Dutch races, at different stages of gestation, multipara aged 4 and 8 years and body condition score (BCS) average 3 on a scale that ranged from 1 to 5 (1 very lean and 5 very fat) of the Federal Rural University of milk cattle production sector of Rio de Janeiro, Seropedica, RJ, in order to evaluate the embryonic and fetal development compared between insemination conventional Artificial (IA) and Artificial Insemination Fixed Time (TAI). Development parameters were evaluated axial and appendicular skeleton, as well as the allantois, amnion, and heart rate. The data obtained over the three years of evaluation in this study showed that ultrasound B-mode via transrectal, is a safe tool for pregnancy monitoring in the first trimester of the evaluated females, and the variables analyzed high reliability for the study of embryo viability and fetal bovine in the first trimester of pregnancy. The use of hormones for synchronization of ovulation and TAI did not influence the embryonic and fetal development of crossbred dairy cows, concluding that products from conventional AI and TAI present development pattern in the first trimester of pregnancy with no significant differences.

Effect of follicular wave synchronization on superovulatory response of Girolando embryo donors

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the follicular wave synchronization method on the superovulatory response of Girolando embryo donors. Seven cows and five heifers were divided into three treatments according to the method of the follicular wave synchronization prior to superovulation. The donors were superovulated with eight FSH decreasing doses, adding 133 mg per animal. The superovulatory response was evaluated using an ultrasound device to quantify the number of corpora lutea. The number and quality of recovered structures were also evaluated. Animal category (cow or heifer) and genetic group influenced the superovulatory response, in which heifers showed a greater response (100% in all treatments) compared with cows, which showed 85.7%, 57.1% and 57.1% superovulatory response for standing estrus, GnRH and P4 + BE groups, respectively. The genetic group also showed influence on superovulatory response, in which the 3/8 animals had an average of 10.3 corpora lutea per donor compared with the 3/4 animals, which showed 4.9. The follicular wave synchronization treatments did not show differences in superovulatory response, recovered structures and viable structures. The treatment of follicular wave synchronization with GnRH or with P4 + BE can be used in Girolando donors with the same efficiency as the standing estrus group, and 3/8 Girolando heifers respond better to the superovulatory treatment.

Reproductive parameters of Sindhi cows (Bos taurus indicus) treated with two ovulation synchronization protocols

The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproductive parameters of Sindhi cows aiming to improve the efficiency of fixed-time artificial insemination protocols in this breed. For this purpose, sixteen Sindhi cows were divided into two groups: in group I (EB, n = 8) animals received an intravaginal P4 implant and an application of 2 mg of estradiol benzoate on day 0. On day 8 the implant was removed and 10 mg of Dinoprost were applied; on day 9, 1 mg of estradiol benzoate was applied, and animals were fixed-time artificially inseminated 36 hours later; in group II (EB + eCG, n = 8) animals were subjected to same treatment, and on day eight 400 IU of eCG were applied. From day 0 animals were examined daily by a trans-rectal ultrasound device, where in each assessment the largest follicles of each day were measured. The reproductive parameters observed for groups I and II were: emergence of follicular wave, 4.5±1.4 and 3.8±0.3 days; interval between wave emergence and ovulation, 5.8±1.4 and 7.1±0.3 days; interval between wave emergence and implant removal, 3.5±1.4 and 4.1±0.3 days; interval between implant removal and ovulation, 74.0±11.8 and 82.5±4.2 hours; diameter of the dominant follicle (DF) at the time of implant removal, 7.5±2.5 and 6.6±1.5 mm; maximum diameter of DF, 10.47±8.85 and 3.7±1.2 mm; growth rate of DF, 0.90±0.83 and 0.7±0.6 mm/day; ovulation rate, 75% and 100%; and pregnancy rate, 0% and 50%, respectively. There was no significant difference between the groups. We observed that eCG was not efficient in improving the reproductive parameters analyzed in this breed.