METHODS OF INDUCING MULTIPLE OVULATION IN CATTLE

Abstract

Follicles in relatively large numbers (average 26) have been consistently produced by the injection of 3600 and 4500 i.u. of whole pregnant mares' serum, and to a slightly lesser degree (average 14), by the injection of similar amounts of commercial processed pregnant mares' serum. Ovulation after this treatment has been spontaneous, but to a lesser degree when using the processed material (5·4% ovulations) than when using the whole plasma (24% ovulations). The percentage of ovulations after this treatment has been increased by the intravenous injection of chorionic gonadotrophin at a dosage of 2000 i.u. (22% for processed material and 42% for whole serum). Where a large corpus luteum was present in the ovary during the time of treatment, the percentage ovulations was 52 as compared with only 14 in those cases in which no corpus luteum was present. Injections of 20 mg. progesterone daily for 4 days after removal of the corpus luteum, and after the p.m.s. injections, had the same effect on the ovulation rate (55% ovulations) as the presence of a large corpus luteum. Ova produced by either processed or whole serum can be fertilized fairly readily in the absence of a corpus luteum, but in its presence or after daily injections of progesterone, no fertilization takes place. In the presence of a corpus luteum or after injections of progesterone, the ova travel down the Fallopian tube at a greatly increased rate, but were in some cases slowed up by the injection of oestrogens.