Luteal and clinical response following administration of dinoprost tromethamine or cloprostenol at standard intramuscular sites or at the lumbosacral acupuncture point in mares.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether administration of a microdose of prostaglandin at the BAI HUI acupuncture point offers any advantage over IM injections for luteolysis, ovulatory interval, or systemic response in mares.


METHODS
17 mature cycling mares, 3 to 20 years of age and weighing 400 to 500 kg.


METHODS
Conventional and microdoses of the prostaglandin dinoprost tromethamine (PGF2alpha), the analogue cloprostenol, or sterile water (control) were administered to mares in 7 treatment groups. Treatments were assigned by dose, administration site (semimembranosus, semitendinosus, or lumbosacral region), and treatment type (PGF2alpha, analogue, or sterile water). Mares were observed for ovulatory interval and systemic response to treatment, including heart, and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, and sweat score. Plasma progesterone concentrations were also determined at the time of treatment and at 24-hour intervals for 96 hours following treatment.


RESULTS
Ovulatory interval was shortened and progesterone concentrations decreased in prostaglandin-treated mares, compared with control mares, regardless of dose or treatment site. However, no differences in ovulatory interval were observed among prostaglandin-treated mares. Mares treated with conventional doses of PGF2alpha had greater systemic responses than mares treated with microdoses of PGF2alpha or sterile water.


CONCLUSIONS
Administration of prostaglandins at the BAI HUI acupuncture point does not appear to offer any advantage over administration at standard IM injection sites for induction of luteolysis or to shorten the ovulatory interval. However, administration of a microdose of the analogue cloprostenol was effective at inducing luteolysis and shortening ovulatory interval regardless of administration site.
Nie
G J
GJ
Department of Large Animal Surgery and Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, AL 36849-5522, USA.
Goodin
A N
AN
Braden
T D
TD
Wenzel
J G
JG
D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D026881:Acupuncture; D000818:Animals; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000187:drug effects; D003008:Cloprostenol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular / Q000662:veterinary; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008186:Luteolytic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011897:Random Allocation; D012119:Respiration / Q000187:drug effects; D013542:Sweat / Q000187:drug effects
D000020:Abortifacient Agents, Nonsteroidal; D008186:Luteolytic Agents; D003008:Cloprostenol; D011374:Progesterone; D015237:Dinoprost; C010714:dinoprost tromethamine