title: Long-term-release GnRH agonists postpone puberty in domestic cats.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of deslorelin acetate implants on domestic queen puberty postponement. Thirty, 114.4 ± 12.7 days old, 1.5 ± 0.1 kg prepubertal crossbred female cats were included in this study. The animals were kept under a positive photoperiod and randomly assigned to deslorelin acetate 4.7 mg SC implants (n = 15) or to a non-treated control group (n = 15). The queens were followed up daily and weighed weekly until puberty. Vaginal cytology was also carried out three times a week. Puberty was diagnosed by the presence of the typical oestrous behaviour and vaginal cytology findings. At puberty, ovariectomy was performed and the gonads grossly described. Age (281.2 ± 21.6 vs 177.8 ± 10.8; p < 0.01) but not weight (2.6 ± 0.1 vs 2.5 ± 0.1; p > 0.1) at puberty differed between the deslorelin and control groups, respectively. One deslorelin-treated female showed an oestrous response and another showed clinical signs of pyometra after the implants. Deslorelin-treated ovaries appeared small, while control gonads were normal. It was concluded that long-term-release deslorelin, administered at approximately 50% adult body weight, postponed feline puberty without altering growing rate.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, National University of La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Risso
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Corrada
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Barbeito
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Diaz
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gobello
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats / Q000254:growth & development*; D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004343:Drug Implants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000819:agonists*; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D003692:Delayed-Action Preparations; D004343:Drug Implants; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D017329:Triptorelin Pamoate; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; C066438:deslorelin