Effects of cervical ripening treatments on pregnancy rates following transcervial artificial insemination in ewes

The study was aimed to identify the effective cervical ripening treatment to increase the pregnancy rates following transcervical artificial insemination (TC-AI) in indigenous ewes of Bangladesh. Three treatments schedules were compared, G1 (n = 6, control), G2 [n = 6, prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) as Misoprostol-Cytomis®] and G3 (n = 6, estrogen as Oestriol-Ovestin® + oxytocin as Linda-S® Vet). Ewes (n=18) were synchronized for estrus using two doses of 100 µg prostaglandin (PGF2α; Ovuprost®) 9 days apart. The cervical ripening treatments were administered just after the onset of estrus and left for 12 h before TC-AI. The cervical ripening was reflected with the depth of cervical penetration. The depth of cervical penetration in G1, G2 and G3 both before and after cervical ripening treatments were 0.33 ± 0.10 cm vs 0.43 ± 0.07 cm, 0.41 ± 0.09 cm vs 3.50 ± 0.26 cm and 0.43 ± 0.09 cm vs 1.54 ± 0.14 cm, respectively. The depth of cervical penetration increased significantly (p

___

  • Anel, L., Kaabi, M., Abroug, B., Alvarez, M., Anel, E., Boixo, J. C., De la Fuente, L. F., & De Paz, P. (2005). Factors influencing the success of vaginal and laparoscopic artificial insemination in churra ewes: a field assay. Theriogenology, 63(4), 1235-1247.
  • Azizunnesa, (2016). Preservation of indigenous ram semen. PhD Thesis, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
  • Bari, F. Y., & Haresign, W. (1998). Embryo recovery, fertilization rates and embryo quality and survival rates in the super ovulated ewes following natural service and /or laparoscopic intrauterine insemination. The Bangladesh Veterinarian, 15, 1-6.
  • Donovan, A., Hanrahan, J. P., Kummen, E., Duffy, P., & Boland, M. P. (2004). Fertility in the ewe following cervical insemination with fresh or frozen-thawed semen at a natural or synchronised oestrus. Animal Reproduction Science, 84(3-4), 359-368.
  • Ellwood, D. A., Mitchell, M. D., Anderson, A. B., & Turnbull, A. C. (1980). Specific changes in the in vitro production of prostanoids by the ovine cervix at parturition. Prostaglandins, 19(3), 479-488.
  • Goldberg, A. B., Greenberg, M. B., & Darney, P. D. (2001). Misoprostol and pregnancy. New England Journal of Medicine, 344(1), 38-47.
  • Jha, P. K., Alam, M. G. S., Mansur, M. A. A, Islam, M. T., & Bari, F. Y. (2018). Selection of breeding rams by evaluating semen quality. Journal of Applied Animal Science, 11(1), 9-20.
  • Jha, P. K., Alam, M. G. S., Mansur, M. B. A., Talukder, M. R. I., Naher, N., Rahman, A. K. M. A., Hall, D. C., & Bari, F. Y. (2020). Effects of number of frozen-thawed ram sperm and number of inseminations on fertility in synchronized ewes under field condition. Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology, 35(2), 1-8
  • Kershaw, C. M., Khalid, M., McGowan, M. R., Ingram, K., Leethongdee, S., Wax, G., & Scaramuzzi, R. J. (2005). The anatomy of the sheep cervix and its influence on the transcervical passage of an inseminating pipette into the uterine lumen. Theriogenology, 64(5), 1225-1235.
  • Kershaw-Young, C. M., Khalid, M., McGowan, M. R., Pitsillides, A. A., & Scaramuzzi, R. J. (2009). The mRNA expression of prostaglandin E receptors EP2 and EP4 and the changes in glycosaminoglycans in the sheep cervix during the estrous cycle. Theriogenology, 72(2), 251-261.
  • Khalifa, R. M., Sayre, B. L., & Lewis, G. S. (1992). Exogenous oxytocin dilates the cervix in ewes. Journal of Animal Science, 70(1), 38-42.
  • King, M. E., McKelvey, W. A. C., Dingwall, W. S., Matthews, K. P., Gebbie, F. E., Mylne, M. J. A., Stewart, E., & Robinson, J. J. (2004). Lambing rates and litter sizes following intrauterine or cervical insemination of frozen/thawed semen with or without oxytocin administration. Theriogenology, 62(7),1236-1244.
  • Ledgert, W. L., Ellwood, D. A., & Taylor, M. J. (1983). Cervical softening in late pregnant sheep by infusion of prostaglandin E-2 into a cervical artery. Reproduction, 69(2), 511-515.
  • Leethongdee, S. (2010). Development of trans-cervical artificial Insemination in sheep with special reference to anatomy of cervix. Suranaree Journal of Science and Technology, 17(1), 57-69.
  • Leethongdee, S. (2011). Induction of Cervical Relaxation for Artificial Insemination in Sheep. The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine, 41(4), 403-408.
  • Leethongdee, S., Kershaw-Young, C. M., Scaramuzzi, R. J., & Khalid, M. (2010). Intra-cervical application of Misoprostol at estrus alters the content of cervical hyaluronan and the mRNA expression of follicle stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR), luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR) and cyclooxygenase-2 in the ewe. Theriogenology, 73(9), 1257-1266.
  • Leethongdee, S., Khalid, M., Bhatti, A., Ponglowhapan, S., Kershaw, C.M., & Scaramuzzi, R.J. (2007). The effects of the prostaglandin E analogue Misoprostol and follicle-stimulating hormone on cervical penetrability in ewes during the peri-ovulatory period. Theriogenology, 67(4), 767-777.
  • Rashidi, M., & Cedden, F. (2013). Trans-cervical artificial insemination in ewes during out of breeding season. Macedonian Journal of Animal Science, 3(2); 143-146.
  • Rekha, A., Zohara, B. F., Bari, F., & Alam, M. G. S. (2016). Comparison of commercial Triladyl extender with a tris-fructose-egg-yolk extender on the quality of frozen semen and pregnancy rate after transcervical AI in Bangladeshi indigenous sheep (Ovis aries). Small Ruminant Research, 134, 39-43.
  • Rekha, A., Zohara, B. F., Bari, F. Y., & Alam, M. G. S. (2018). Comparisons of commercial Triladyl and locally manufactured extenders for the chilling of semen and their effects on pregnancy rates after transcervical AI in Bangladeshi Indigenous (Ovis aries) sheep. Animal Reproduction, 13(4), 735-742.
  • Rickords, L. F., & White, K. L. (1988). Dinoprostone induced cervical dilation in the ewe. Theriogenology, 29(1), 296.
  • Roy, P. K., Zohara, B. F., Azizunnesa, A., Paul, A. K., Bhuiyan, M. M. U., & Bari, F. Y. (2014). Oestrus Synchronization with Ovuprost® and Prostenol® in the Indigenous Ewes of Bangladesh. Journal of Embryo Transfer, 29(2), 149-155.
  • Salamon, S., & Maxwell, W. M. C. (1995). Frozen storage of ram semen II. Causes of low fertility after cervical insemination and methods of improvement. Animal Reproduction Science, 38(1-2), 1-36.
  • Stellflug, J. N., Wulster-Radcliffe, M. C., Hensley, E. L., Cowardin, E. A., Seals, R. C., & Lewis, G. S. (2001). Oxytocin-induced cervical dilation and cervical manipulation in sheep: effects on laparoscopic artificial insemination. Journal of Animal Science, 79(3), 568-573.
  • Wulster-Radcliffe, M. C., Wang, S., & Lewis, G. S. (2004). Transcervical artificial insemination in sheep: effects of a new transcervical artificial insemination instrument and traversing the cervix on pregnancy and lambing rates. Theriogenology, 62(6), 990-1002.
  • Yamaki, K., Morisawa, M., Ribadulla, A., & Kojima, J. (2003). Sheep semen characteristics and artificial insemination by laparoscopy. Tohoku Journal of Agricultural Research, 54(1/2), 17-26.