title: Early sex determination in the canine foetus by ultrasound and PCR.
abstract: Twenty bitches were seen in consultation at the Department of Reproduction at ONIRIS (College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, Nantes, France) between 25 and 50 days of gestation for early sex determination of the canine foetus using ultrasound. The genital tubercle is not visible before 26 days; between 26 and 30 days, it is visible between the pelvic limbs; between 33 and 50 days, the position of the genital tubercle enables sex determination as it migrates caudally in the female and cranially in the male. Good statistical concordance between sexing via ultrasound and sexing at birth has been established (kappa coefficient of 0.8). Macroscopic, microscopic, and histological examinations of the external genital organs were also performed on 10 foetuses at 35 days of gestation; a cartilaginous structure was visualized in the genital apparatus of the male but also in half of the females. Finally, the development of a PCR technique on the SRY gene using formaldehyde-preserved tissues has been described for the first time in this study. It served as a reference for sexing canine foetuses.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Pathology of Reproduction, ONIRIS: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Camille
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Prugnard
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Pathology of Reproduction, ONIRIS: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Amirat-Briand
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Lamia
authors.affiliation: UMR 703 INRA/Oniris: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Yannick
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cherel
authors.affiliation: UMR 703 INRA/Oniris: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Candice
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Babarit
authors.affiliation: Service d'Anatomie Comparée Animale, ONIRIS: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Guintard
authors.affiliation: Service d'Anatomie Comparée Animale, ONIRIS: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Betti
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Pathology of Reproduction, ONIRIS: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tainturier
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Biotechnology and Pathology of Reproduction, ONIRIS: College of Veterinary Medicine, Food Science and Engineering, Loire Atlantique, BP 40706, 44307 Nantes, France. Electronic address: djemil.bencharif@oniris-nantes.fr.
authors.forename: Djemil
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bencharif
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Canine foetus; Early; PCR; Sex determination; Ultrasound