Fertility of young mares after long-term anabolic steroid treatment

The effect of prior treatment with anabolic steroids was studied in 46 three-year-old mares. In the preceding year, these mares had been assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups and had received the manufacturer's recommended dosage of 1.1 mg of boldenone undecylenate (BU)/kg of body weight, 4.4 mg of boldenone undecylenate (4 BU)/kg, 1.1 mg of nandrolone decanoate (ND)/kg, or 0.04 ml of sesame oil/kg (control, C). Mares had received an injection every 3 weeks for 54 weeks for a total of 19 injections, with the final injection in December. In the following breeding season, fewer (P less than 0.05) mares in all groups previously administered anabolic steroids displayed estrous behavior than did mares in the control group. Duration of estrus was shortened (P less than 0.05) in mares that had received steroids. Abnormal sexual behavior that was observed during steroid treatment continued (P less than 0.05) for up to 6 months after treatment ceased. However, observations of abnormal behavior declined with time (P less than 0.05). All mares in each treatment group ovulated by the end of the trial, and the interval to first ovulation was similar (P greater than 0.05). Ovarian size, follicular development, and conditions of the tubular genitalia was adversely (P less than 0.05) affected in mares in all steroid-treatment groups until approximately the middle of March. After that time, no difference was noted among groups. First-cycle pregnancy rates were 83%, 67%, 50%, and 42% for mares in the untreated, BU, 4 BU, and ND groups, respectively.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)