title: Fertility rate evaluation by laparoscopic approach in the experimental animal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of laparoscopic insemination (LAP) and natural mating (NM) on fertility rate in experimental animal (Ovis Aries Comisana) during the month of June.
  
  
  METHODS
  For the experiment, 97 ewes were used. Laparoscopic insemination was performed with the frozen semen of three different Romanov rams: Laparoscopic insemination I (n = 24); Laparoscopic insemination 2 (n = 26); and laparoscopic insemination 3 (n = 28), and natural mating was performed with two different Ovis Aries Comisana rams with proven fertility: Natural mating I (n = 10); Natural mating 2 (n = 9). Estrus was synchronized with fluorogestone acetate impregnated intravaginal sponges (40 mg, 14 days). Pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (Folligon, Intervet International) at a dose of 400 UI was given intramuscularly at sponge removal. Artificial insemination was carried out 60 hours after the removal of the sponges in the laparoscopic insemination groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean pregnancy rate at ecographic diagnosis performed at about 36 days from sponge removal for the laparoscopic insemination and natural mating groups were respectively, 62.8% and 78.9% with no significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mean fertility rates for the LAP and NM groups were 56.0 and 73.4, respectively, with no significant difference.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Terzano
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Domenico
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Ligato
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrone
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Santis
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Cavaliere
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Noia
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D010535:Laparoscopy; D008297:Male; D034561:Sheep, Domestic