THE INFLUENCE OF EXOGENOUS GROWTH HORMONE ON OVULATION RATE IN GILTS

Abstract

A total of 32 prepubertal gilts of Yorkshire and Landrace breeding were selected at 138 d and fed ad libitum a 16.2% crude protein diet formulated to provide 13.1 MJ DE kg−1. From selection until the end of second estrus, the gilts were exposed to a boar for 30 min d−1 to facilitate the detection of pubertal and second estrous periods. From 14 d after puberty, the gilts received daily injections of either porcine growth hormone at 90 μg kg−1 body weight (GH; n = 20) or vehicle (CT; n = 12) until 24 h after the onset of second estrus and were then killed 9 d later to determine ovulation rate. Gilts not displaying a second estrus by 24 day after puberty were considered anestrus and the injection regime was halted. Anestrous gilts were killed 30–32 d after puberty and their ovaries examined for the presence of corpora albicantia and the absence of corpora lutea. Blood samples were obtained from all gilts at 14, 17, and 20 d after puberty. There was no treatment effect on the duration of the estrous cycle (20.8 vs. 21.3 d for GH and CT, respectively), but while all CT gilts cycled normally, only 55% of the GH gilts had a second estrus (P < 0.01). In those gilts having a second estrus, the daily injection of growth hormone increased ovulation rate (14.3 vs. 12.4 for GH and CT respectively; P < 0.03). Serum type 1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) concentrations were higher (P < 0.001) in GH than in CT gilts, but there was no difference between cycling and anestrous GH gilts. We suggest that the effect of growth hormone on ovulation rate was mediated by increased secretion of IGF-1. The etiology of the high incidence of anestrus is, however, not known. Key words: Gilts, growth hormone, ovulation rate