Matteo Tesi

Induction of ovulation with buserelin in jennies: In search of the minimum effective dose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the minimum dose of buserelin acetate (buserelin) able to induce ovulation between 24 and 48 h from treatment (positive response) in estrous jennies. Jennies were studied during a total of 172 estrous cycles: ovarian activity was routinely monitored by ultrasound; when the dominant follicle reached a diameter of 33 ± 1 mm, estrous jennies were treated by subcutaneous administration of different doses of buserelin, 3.3mg (N = 11), 1.5mg (N = 21), 0.8 mg (N = 12), 0.4 mg (N = 16), 0.2mg (N = 13), 0.1mg (N = 16), 0.04 mg (N = 14), 0.02 mg (N = 16), or employed as controls (N = 53). Single jennies (P = 0.0001) and GnRH dose (P = 0.003) significantly affected ovulation rates. Ovulation rates between 24 and 48 h of each treated group, except for the 0.02 mg group, was higher than in the control group (P < 0.05). The minimum dose of buserelin effective to induce ovulation in estrous jennies was 0.04 mg.

The Current Situation and Trend of Donkey Industry in Europe

&NA; Owing to the mechanization in agriculture and transport, the number of donkeys reared in Europe was reduced of 50% in the last 20 years and more than 80% since the middle of the last century. During this period, no attention was devoted to the breeding selection and biodiversity conservation, with the results that, nowadays, most of the European breeds of donkey are threatened of extinction. The remaining donkeys, in Europe, are employed for niche purposes as mule production or maintenance of soil and landscape. The consumption of donkey meat is not popular in Europe, and a few animals are sent to the slaughterhouse. A new interest is growing in Europe for donkey milk, mostly for human consumption, but also for the production of beauty products. Marginal areas of donkey employment are the social and leisure uses. In spite of the fact that interest for donkey in Europe is very marginal and very few or even no funding for research were provided from national or European authorities, more or less one third of articles published on different aspect of donkey sciences in the last 20 years were produced in Europe. HighlightsThe interest for donkey breeding in Europe is very marginal.The donkeys stock in Europe was reduced of more than 80% in the last century.Most of the European breeds of donkey are threatened of extinction.The consumption of donkey meat is not popular in Europe.The interest for donkey milk, as substitute for human milk, is growing.

Effect of the administration of alfaprostol 3 or 6 days after ovulation in jennies: ultrasonographic characteristic of corpora lutea and serum progesterone concentration

Donkey jennys corpus luteum (CL) response to PGF2α analogues has not been investigated in depth. Aim of this study was to evaluate the donkey jennys corpus luteum (CL) ultrasonographic characteristics (diameter, area and vascularized area) by B-Mode, Color Doppler and serum progesterone concentration ([P4]) after treatment with the prostaglandins F2α analogue alfaprostol at day 3 or day 6 after ovulation (groups PG3 and PG6, respectively). [P4] was positively correlated (P < 0.0001) with CL diameter: r2 = 0.17; area: r2 = 0.21 and vascularized area: r2 = 0.54. The interovulatory interval was significantly reduced in the PG6 group (15 ± 1.8 days), compared to the control group (24.5 ± 2.9 days; P < 0,05), while there were no significant differences in interovulatory interval between PG3 (21.7 ± 7.9 days) and control or PG6 group. [P4], in the 6 jennies of the PG6 group, dropped under 1 ng/mL within 2 days after treatment, remaining under this concentration until [P4] raised again to levels comparable with those of the control group until spontaneous luteolysis. After alfaprostol administration, one of the 2 remaining PG3 group jennies showed a complete luteolysis, and the other one underwent a partial luteolysis and ovulated in diestrus.

Postmating Endometritis and Pregnancy Rate Were Not Affected by the Addition to Frozen-Thawed Semen of Filtered Seminal Plasma When Mares Without Evidence of Endometritis Were Artificially Inseminated Once 40 Hours Post-Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Treatment

ABSTRACT The main aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the addition of seminal plasma (SP) to frozen‐thawed semen on postmating endometritis (PME) and embryo recovery rate in mares when only one artificial insemination (AI) is performed. Forty hours following induction of ovulation, 15 fertile Standardbred mares were submitted to a single AI per cycle with frozen semen obtained from one of two different stallions, on two cycles, according to two different protocols: routine AI (200–280 × 106 frozen‐thawed spermatozoa in 2 mL) and SP AI (200–280 × 106 of frozen‐thawed spermatozoa in 2 mL to which 7.8 mL of frozen‐thawed SP was added). Six and 20 hours after AI, mares were evaluated by ultrasound for the presence of uterine fluid. Six hours after AI, mares were also subjected to uterine lavage for the evaluation of the presence and number of inflammatory cells. Eight days after ovulation, pregnancy was diagnosed by embryo recovery. There was a significant effect of treatment on subjective motility, which was lower when SP was added (20%; interquartile range [IQR] 10) compared with undiluted semen (45%; IQR 10) (P < .05). There was no significant effect of stallion or treatment on PME or embryo recovery rate. In the mares and conditions of this study, the addition of SP to frozen‐thawed semen had no effect on post‐AI uterine inflammation and pregnancy rate. HighlightsSeminal plasma was added to frozen‐thawed semen before artificial insemination of mares.Treatment reduced sperm subjective motility.There was no significant effect of treatment on postmating endometritis.There was no significant effect of stallion or treatment on embryo recovery.