Response of the mink reproductive system to hormonal stimulation in october as a prognostic criterion of folluculogenesis and fertility

• Published in: Journal of evolutionary biochemistry and physiology 2000-05, Vol.36 (2), p.170-177
• Main Authors: Klochkov, D V, Eryuchenkov, P A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anestrus; Chorionic gonadotropin; Estrus cycle; Females; Fertility; Follicles; Folliculogenesis; Gonadotropins; Injection; Pituitary (anterior); Reproductive system
• ISSN: 0022-0930; 1608-3202
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02754331

The responsess of the mink reproductive systems in October to a single intramuscular injection of chorionic gonadotropin (CG, Profasi R, Italy) at doses of 10, 20, 50, and 100 IU was studied. The estrous cycle state, folliculogenesis, and reproductive parameters of the female minks were estimated. To evaluate functional polymorphism in the reproductive system of the females in response to the CG injection, a dose of 20 IU was chosen. On the sixth day after administration of this dose of CG, the females (n = 185) were distributed according to the stages of the estrous cycle as follows: anestrus—71 animals (38.4%), anestrus-proestrus—37 (20.0%), proestrus—30 (16.2%), proestrus-estrus—14 (7.6%), estrus—33 (17.8%). In the females of the “anestrus-proestrus” and “proestrus” groups as compared with the other groups as well as with control, a statistically significantly higher fertility was revealed. The study of folliculogenesis in the females with different parameters of the estrous cycle in November demonstrated the high level of fertility to be due to ability of these females to produce, under influence of the CG injection, the maximal number of mature follicles. A high heritable responsiveness of the reproductive system of the females to the CG injection (coefficient of realized heritabilityh = 0.64; the calculation made on the data for the sisters) indicates that this method may be an additional criterion in the selection of females for fertility.