Determination by echography of uterine changes around puberty in gilts and evaluationof a diagnosis of puberty

Abstract

-Three experiments were carried out to evaluate the use of ultrasonography in assessing the onset of puberty in gilts. In experiment 1, gilts (n = 17) were scanned 3 times per week beginning at 133 and continuing until 187 days of age. The ultrasonic appearance of the uterus was described, quantified and compared with the reproductive status observed at slaughter. The quantification of the pictures showed a different correlation in time for infantile, impubertal, prepubertal and pubertal stages. For pubertal females, "uterine area" increased at around 180 days of age, well-defined sections of the uterine horns appeared 3 ± 0.5 days before puberty. In infantile and impubertal gilts during the same period of age, uterine images remained dark and homogeneous; no significant change in the "uterine area" was observed. This difference in images allowed an evaluation of the diagnosis of puberty. In experiment 2, the gilts (n = 123) were scanned, the result was verified at slaughter the day after by examination of the genital tract. The uterine weight of the gilts that had reached a prepubertal or pubertal stage was significantly greater (P = 0.0001) than that in impubertal gilts. The sensitivity and the specificity of the diagnosis were 91.9% and 96.5% respectively. Experiment 3 was performed on a farm and echographic examinations were carried out one and five days after gilts (n = 117) arrived at the piggery. Oestrus detection or blood sampling for progesterone determinations were used as tools to determine the reproductive status. The sensitivity and the specificity of the diagnosis were 98.9% and 100% respectively. This diagnosis of puberty is thus accurate.pig / puberty / detection / ultrasonography * Corresponding author: fbotte@tours.inra.fr Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 43 (2003) 225-236 225

Ultrasonographic evaluation of ovarian morphology and blood flow in prepubertal and pubertal cats

“…In humans, different stages of puberty have been described based on morphological changes of secondary sexual characters (Marshall & Tanner, , ) and two‐dimensional ultrasonographic changes of the reproductive tract (Ivarsson, Nilsson, & Persson, ; Battaglia et al, ; Badouraki, Christoforidis, Economou, Dimitriadis, & Katzos, ). In domestic species, it has been reported that the ultrasonographic appearance of the ovaries facilitates the diagnosis of sexual maturity in prepubertal and pubertal cows (Perry & Cushman, ) and gilts (Martinat‐Botté et al, ; Kauffold, Rautenberg, Richter, Waehner, & Sobiraj, ).…”

Biotechnologies de la reproduction porcine : des techniques de routine aux méthodes en émergence

“…Un contrôle échographique de la taille et de l'aspect de l'utérus permet de différencier les femelles impubères (images sombres et homogènes) et celles pubères (images contrastées avec coupes utérines visibles ; figures 4 et 5). Le changement des images est brutal, 2 à 9 j avant la puberté (Martinat-Botté et al 2003). La technique peut être mise en oeuvre en élevage avec une exactitude de 97% (Martinat-Botté et…”

“…A contrario, l'échographie est maintenant le seul outil utilisé en routine par les éleveurs pour détecter la gestation des truies et ceci dès 20 j. La littérature, abondante sur ce point, est unanime pour reconnaître la fiabilité de ce diagnostic (97% d'exactitude) qui permet en outre de réduire les temps improductifs(Martinat-Botté et al 1998, Kauffold et Althouse 2007.…”

Dynamic DNA methylation of ovaries during pubertal transition in gilts

“…In pigs, puberty is defined as the emergence of the first estrous and follicular maturation [26], and early puberty is selected to shorten the generation interval [27, 28]. Moreover, pigs are the valuable biomedical and pubertal model due to the similar processes in follicular maturation [9, 10] and pubertal transition to humans [29, 30].…”