title: Are pharmacological interventions between conception and birth effective in improving reproductive outcomes in North American swine?
abstract: The objective of this review is to evaluate the effectiveness of using pharmacological compounds on reproductive outcomes, particularly litter size, in North American swine. While the opportunity to improve reproduction in North American pigs exists, numerous hurdles need to be overcome in order to achieve measureable results. In the swine industry, the majority of piglet losses are incurred during pregnancy and around farrowing. Over the last 20 years, a reduction in losses has been achieved through genetic selection and nutritional management; however, these topics are the focus of other reviews. This review will evaluate attempts to improve litter size by reducing losses at various stages of the reproductive process, from the time of conception to the time of farrowing, using pharmacological compounds. Generally, these compounds are used to either alter physiological processes related to fertilization, embryonic attachment or uterine capacity, etc., or to facilitate management aspects of the breeding females such as inducing parturition. Although some of the pharmacological agents reviewed here show some positive effects on improving reproductive parameters, the inconsistent results and associated risks usually outweigh the benefits gained. Thus, at the present time, the use of pharmacological agents to enhance reproduction in North American swine may only be recommended for herds with low fertility and presents an avenue of research that could be further explored.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.|Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wessels
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.|Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Khalaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.|Department of Animal Production, Faculty of Agriculture, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: Kridli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bidarimath
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.|Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tayade
mesh_terms: D000034:Abortion, Veterinary / Q000517:prevention & control; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding / Q000379:methods; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary; D008098:Litter Size / Q000187:drug effects; D009656:North America; D010920:Placenta / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome / Q000662:veterinary*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013552:Swine; D013553:Swine Diseases; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014599:Uterus / Q000033:anatomy & histology
chemical_list: D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D013006:Growth Hormone; D015237:Dinoprost