title: Use of a gonadotropin releasing hormone agonist implant as an alternative for surgical castration in male ferrets (Mustela putorius furo).
abstract: Surgical castration in ferrets has been implicated as an etiological factor in the development of hyperadrenocorticism in this species due to a castration-related increase in plasma gonadotropins. In search for a suitable alternative, the effect of treatment with the depot GnRH-agonist implant, deslorelin, on plasma testosterone concentrations and concurrent testes size, spermatogenesis, and the typical musky odor of intact male ferrets was investigated. Twenty-one male ferrets, equally divided into three groups, were either surgically castrated, received a slow release deslorelin implant or received a placebo implant. Plasma FSH and testosterone concentrations, testis size and spermatogenesis were all suppressed after the use of the deslorelin implant. The musky odor in the ferrets which had received a deslorelin implant was less compared to the ferrets which were either surgically castrated or had received a placebo implant. These results indicate that the deslorelin implant effectively prevents reproduction and the musky odor of intact male ferrets and is therefore considered a suitable alternative for surgical castration in these animals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences of Companion Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. N.J.Schoemaker@uu.nl
authors.forename: N J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Schoemaker
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van Deijk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Muijlaert
authors.forename: M J L
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kik
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kuijten
authors.forename: F H
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: de Jong
authors.forename: T E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Trigg
authors.forename: C L J J
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Kruitwagen
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mol
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005289:Ferrets; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D009919:Orchiectomy / Q000662:veterinary*; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D013997:Time Factors; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate; D013739:Testosterone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; C066438:deslorelin