title: Fertility after artificial insemination using a soybean-based semen extender in sheep.
abstract: The present study aimed to compare the fertility of ewes intrauterinally inseminated with frozen-thawed semen using a soybean-based semen extender (AndroMed) with those of ewes intrauterinally inseminated with frozen-thawed semen using a Tris-based extender containing either egg yolk or BSA. Suffolk ewes (n=104) were treated with an intravaginal sponge containing 40 mg fluoroprogesterone acetate (FGA) for 12 days and an intramuscular injection of 500 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin to induce estrus and ovulation during the non-breeding season (July, 2007). Intrauterine insemination was carried out 40-46 h after removal of the FGA sponge (n=90), regardless of the incidence of estrus. The pregnancy rates were not significantly different among the semen extenders containing egg yolk (64.5%) or BSA (58.6%) and AndroMed extender (56.7%). The lambing rates (64.5, 55.2 and 56.7% for the semen extenders containing egg yolk, BSA and AndroMed, respectively) and prolificacy (1.59 to 1.75) were also not significantly different. The present results indicate that an egg yolk-containing semen extender can be replaced with the non-animal derived extender AndroMed, which could be used for intrauterine insemination using frozen-thawed ram semen without reducing fertility.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan. fukui@obihiro.ac.jp
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Hirohide
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kohno
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Togari
authors.forename: Mami
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiwasa
authors.forename: Kentaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okabe
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects*; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D012662:Semen Preservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology; D013025:Glycine max / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D010936:Plant Extracts