Recombinant-human luteinizing hormone (r-hLH) as ovulatory stimulus in superovulated does

To study the effects of r-hLH as ovulatory stimulus in does.

New Zealand does, 18 wk old, in estrus, received 25 IU of pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) followed at 48 h either by 50 IU of r-hLH (n = 20) or hCG (n = 20) to induce follicular growth and ovulation. All does were previously artificially inseminated to avoid endogenous LH surge. Half of the animals receiving r-hLH (n = 10) or hCG (n = 10) were killed at 72 h after the hormone administration, and the remaining half were killed at 14 days. At 72 h the number of corpora lutea and preovulatory follicles was determined, and fertilization rate, embryo quality, degree of embryonic development, and oviductal transit were all assessed. On day 14 the number corpora lutea and implanted embryos were counted, and implantation rate was determined. Median and interquartile ranges were calculated for each parameter.

At 72 h the median for corpora lutea was 8 (7-10) in the r-hLH group vs 13 (10-14) in the hCG group (P = 0.009); preopvulatory follicles were 7 (6-10) vs 0 (0-0) (P = 0.0007); the percentage of good-quality embryos was 71.4% (54.5-75) vs 33.3% (25-37.5) (P = 0.001), for intermediate-quality embryos it was 25% (14.3-36.4) vs 33.3% (25-38.5), and the percentage of degenerated embryos was 0% (0-12.5) vs 33.3% (25-37.5) (P = 0.015), respectively. Fertilization rates were similar in both groups. Embryonic development was more homogeneous in the animals receiving r-hLH (8 to > or = 16 cells) compared to those receiving hCG (2 to > or = 16 cells). The median of embryos still in oviducts at 72 h was significantly higher in the hCG group [6 (4-13)] than in the r-hLH group [0 (0-4)] (P = 0.41). At 14 days the median of corpora lutea was higher in the hCG [12 (11-16)] than in the r-hLH group [10 (7-13)] (P = 0.008), but no differences were noted in the number of implanted embryos. Implantation rate was higher in the r-hLH group [100 (92.3-100)] than in the hCG group [87.5 (83.3-94.1)] (P = 0.056).

At the studied dose an ovulatory stimulus with r-hLH induced fewer follicles to ovulate than hCG. Recombinant-hLH produced superior embryo morphological quality, a more homogeneous degree of embryo development, and more synchronous embryo transit than hCG. In spite of the larger number of ovulations following hCG, subsequent events essential for pregnancy were higher with r-hLH, offsetting differences in terms of implanted embryos at 14 days of pregnancy.