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The study was conducted to compare estrous rate, ovulatory response, plasma progesterone concentrations, and conception rate following cervical artificial insemination in goats given a new or once-used controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Fifty-six Thai-native goats with the average age and body weight of 11 months and 17.3 kg received a 14-day treatment with a new CIDR device (Eazi-Breed(TM)CIDR®, Pfizer, NY, USA) or a once-used CIDR device. All goats received a 300-IU injection of hCG (Chorulon®, Intervet International B.V., New Zealand) at the day of CIDR removal to induce ovulation. All goats displaying signs of Estrous behavior were artificially inseminated at 12 h after the onset of estrus with frozen semen. No differences in percentage of estrus and ovulation rates were observed; however, goats that received once-used CIDR devices exhibited shorter (P < 0.05) duration of estrus in comparison with new devices (21.4 ± 1.4 h vs. 26.1 ± 1.1 h) and delayed the onset of estrus (47.0 ± 3.6 h vs. 36.5 ± 1.9 h) and the time of ovulation (74.9 ± 3.9 h vs. 64.5 ± 1.3 h), respectively. Progesterone (P4) concentrations were not significantly different (P > 0.05) between treatments during CIDR device insertion and at the time of CIDR removal except on day 4. No significant differences were found in overall conception rates between the treatments. This study indicates that the once-used CIDR device with hCG could be applied to synchronize the estrus and ovulation in small-size Thai-native goats without negative effects on Estrous behavior, ovulatory response, and plasma P4 concentration.

A study was conducted during hot season to determine the effect of synchronization of ovulation with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) on fertility of lactating dairy cows with ovarian cysts. Non cyclic Holstein dairy cows (n = 80) were stratified by parity and diagnosed as having an ovarian cyst. The cows were further identified as follicular or luteal cysts according to the plasma progesterone (P4) concentration and the cystic image of ultrasonography. Cystic cows were randomly assigned to receive treatments (Ovsynch as the control or Ovsynch plus 3000 IU hCG). All cows were artificially inseminated at 16-18 h after the second gonadotropin releasing hormone injection. Cows supplemented with hCG had a greater number of corpus luteum (1.8 ± 0.2 and 0.8 ± 0.3; P < 0.05) and had greater P4 concentration on day 12 than those control cows (6.3 ± 0.3 and 3.9 ± 0.4 ng/ml; P < 0.05). Concentration of cortisol did not differ between groups of cystic cows. No significant differences were found in overall conception rates between the treatments; however, significantly greater conception rate (P = 0.03) was observed in cows with luteal cysts receiving Ovsynch plus hCG. This study highlights that administration of hCG following the Ovsynch-based timed artificial insemination (AI) is more effective than the control Ovsynch by which the hCG affects corpus luteum (CL) development, P4 concentration, and thus improves conception rate in dairy cows with luteal cysts.

Sex steroid hormones are major regulators of uterine and placental growth and functions, as well as many other biological processes. To examine the mRNA expression of nuclear estrogen (ESR1 and 2) and progesterone (PGRAB and B) receptors in different compartments of the uterus and placenta, tissues were collected in experiment 1, on days 16, 20 and 28 after natural mating (NAT) and on day 10 after estrus (non-pregnant controls [NP]); and in experiment 2, on day 22 of NAT, and pregnancies established after transfer of embryos generated through mating of FSH-treated ewes (NAT-ET), in vitro fertilization (IVF), or in vitro activation (IVA; parthenotes). In experiment 1, ESR1 expression in endometrial stroma (ES), endometrial glands (EG) and myometrial blood vessels (MBV), ESR2 in endometrial blood vessels (EBV), PGRAB in ES, and PGRB in ES, EG and MBV was greater in pregnant than NP depending on day of pregnancy. Day of pregnancy affected expression of ESR1 in MBV, ESR2 in EBV and MBV, and PGRAB in ES. In experiment 2, ESR1, PGRAB and PGRB in EG, but not in other compartments, was greater in NAT-ET than NAT, and PGRB was greater in NAT-ET than the IVF. These data demonstrated that the ESR and PGR expression was different in pregnant vs. NP ewes in selected compartments, and was affected by pregnancy stage or embryo origin in selected utero-placental compartments. Thus, sex steroid hormone mRNA expression is differentially regulated in a spatio-temporal manner in uterus and placenta, and is affected by application of assisted reproductive technology in sheep.

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