Effects of mifepristone and quinestrol on the fertility of female Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) in different reproductive phases

Abstract

Mifepristone and quinestrol are effective drugs for controlling rodent fertility, but their inhibitory effectiveness during premating, early pregnancy, and late pregnancy is unknown. In this study, six groups of eight female Brandt’s voles (Lasiopodomys brandtii) were administered with mifepristone, quinestrol, or a control for three days during premating, early pregnancy, or late pregnancy. In the mifepristone-treated groups, the premating females bred, whereas the early and late pregnant females did not. The reproductive rate, litter size, average body mass at birth, and survival rate of pups did not significantly differ between the mifepristone-treated premating group and the control group. By contrast, quinestrol treatment completely inhibited fertility during the three reproductive phases. In addition, fertility was not completely restored in the second pairing. The reproductive rates were higher for mifepristone, both during early and late pregnancy, than for quinestrol, but both were lower than the control. Thus, mifepristone and quinestrol both inhibited the fertility of female Brandt’s voles at different reproductive periods. These results suggest that these two sterilants could be delivered during the reproductive season of the target pest animal.