Changes in endocrine profiles during ovsynch and ovsynch plus norprolac treatment in Murrah buffalo heifers at hot summer season

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the changes in hormonal profiles during ovsynch and ovsynch plus norprolac treatment in Murrah buffalo heifers following timed artificial insemination (TAI) at stressful summer months, through intensive endocrine analysis. The norprolac (an anti-prolactin drug) at the dose rate of 10.0 mg/animal /day effectively suppressed the level of prolactin upto 30 hours. The hormones quantified in blood plasma samples collected before, during and after ovsynch and ovsynch plus norprolac treatment were LH, prolactin, progesterone, estradiol-17beta and total estrogens. The plasma prolactin and progesterone concentrations were negatively correlated (r = - 0.24) during summer estrous cycle, which indicated prolactin-induced suppression of progesterone secretion through poor luteal development. The ovsynch treatment reduced the incidence of anestrous from 45% before treatment to only 18% after treatment. The norprolac induced prolactin suppression improved the efficiency of ovsynch treatment upto 100% cyclicity after treatment in comparison to 36% acyclicity before treatment. In both the treatments 45% and 55% of animal became pregnant after TAI, respectively. The high prolactin secretion contributed to poor fertility by lowering gonadal hormones (estradiol-17beta, total estrogens and progesterone) production in summer months. This finding of endocrine changes suggests that ovsynch protocol for estrus synchronization has potential application for improvement of fertility in repeat breeding buffaloes even during extreme summer months through suppression of prolactin secretion.