title: Postnatal pituitary and follicular activation: a revisited hypothesis in a sheep model.
abstract: The importance of postnatal pituitary activation as regards female reproductive development is not yet understood. By taking advantage of the experimental model developed in a previous study, i.e. ewe lambs expressing markedly different ovarian phenotypes at 50 days of age, we designed this study to determine whether differences found in ovarian status during the early prepubertal period are due to different patterns of postnatal pituitary activation, and to assess whether these differences have long lasting effects on subsequent reproductive performance. Results showed that ewe lambs with high antral follicle count (AFC) at 50 days of age had significantly lower plasma FSH concentrations and higher anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentrations during the first 9 weeks of age compared with low AFC ewe lambs (P<0.0001). With a longitudinal experiment we showed that a high AFC in the early prepubertal period is associated with consistently higher AMH concentrations and numbers of antral follicles up to the postpubertal period, and with higher pregnancy rates in the first breeding season. In addition, the effect of age in decreasing AMH concentrations was more marked in the low AFC group. Results of the present study demonstrate that ewe lambs undergo different patterns of postnatal pituitary activation. A high AFC at 50 days of age indicates an advanced phase of ovarian maturation, which was accompanied by constantly higher AMH concentrations up to the postpubertal period, a greater ovarian response to FSH stimulation and by higher pregnancy rates at first mating, as compared with the low AFC group.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Torres-Rovira
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Succu
authors.forename: Valeria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pasciu
authors.forename: Maria Elena
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Manca
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Bulnes
authors.forename: Giovanni Giuseppe
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Leoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Maria Grazia
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Pennino
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spezzigu
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Marilia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gallus
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dattena
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertility, Perfugas, Sassari, ItalyAGRIS SardegnaDepartment of Animal Production, Loc. Bonassai, 07100 Sassari, ItalyINRAUMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceCNRSUMR7247 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, F-37380 Nouzilly, FranceUniversité François Rabelais de ToursF-37041 Tours, FranceIFCEF-37380 Nouzilly, France Department of Veterinary MedicineUniversity of Sassari, Via Vienna 2, 07100 Sassari, ItalyDepartment of Animal ReproductionINIA, Avenida Puerta de Hierro s/n, 28040 Madrid, SpainDepto. de BotânicaEcologia e Zoologia - DBEZ, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte - UFRN, Campus Universitário s/n, Lagoa Nova. Cx postal 1524. CEP 59.098-970 Natal (RN), BrazilEmbryo SardegnaTechnology, Reproduction, and Fertil
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Monniaux
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naitana
authors.forename: Fiammetta
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berlinguer
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000502:physiology*; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D011897:Random Allocation; D012756:Sheep
chemical_list: D054304:Anti-Mullerian Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone