Relationship between colour flow Doppler sonographic assessment of corpus luteum activity and progesterone concentrations in mares after embryo transfer

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• 作者：P.T. Brogan^a ; ^{P.T.Brogan@uu.nl" class="auth_mail" title="E-mail the corresponding author} ; H. Henning^a ; T.A.E. Stout^a ; ^b ; ^c ; M. de Ruijter-Villani^a
• 关键词：Equine ; Mare ; Colour flow Doppler ; Embryo transfer ; Progesterone
• 刊名：Animal Reproduction Science
• 出版年：2016
• 出版时间：March 2016
• 年：2016
• 卷：166
• 期：Complete
• 页码：22-27
• 全文大小：425 K

文摘

Colour-flow Doppler sonography has been described as a means of assessing corpus luteum (CL) function rapidly, because area of luteal blood vessels correlates well with circulating progesterone (P₄) concentrations [P₄] in oestrous cycling mares. The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between CL size and vascularity, and circulating [P₄] during early pregnancy in mares, and to determine whether luteal blood flow was a useful aid for selecting an embryo transfer recipient. Equine embryos (m>nm> = 48) were recovered 8 days after ovulation and were transferred to available recipient mares as part of a commercial program with the degree of synchrony in timing of recipient ovulation ranging from 1 day before to 4 days after the donor. Immediately prior to embryo transfer (ET), maximum CL cross-section and blood vessel areas were assessed sonographically, and jugular blood was collected to measure plasma [P₄]. Sonographic measurements and jugular blood collection were repeated at day 4 after ET for all mares, and again at days 11, 18 and 25 after ET in mares that were pregnant. The number of grey-scale and colour pixels within the CL was subsequently quantified using ImageJ software. The CL blood flow correlated significantly but weakly with plasma [P₄] on the day of transfer and on day 4 after ET in all mares, and on days 11 and 25 after ET in pregnant mares (m>rm> = 0.30–0.36). The CL area and plasma [P₄] were also correlated on each day until day 11 after ET (m>rm> = 0.49–0.60). The CL colour pixel area decreased significantly after day 18, whereas CL area was already decreasing by day 4 after ET. The CL area, area of blood flow, or [P₄] was predictive of pregnancy. Findings in the present study suggest that both CL area and blood flow are correlated with circulating [P₄] at the time of transfer and in early pregnancy. Evaluation of the CL using B-mode or CF sonography, although practical, provides no improvement in the selection of recipients or prediction of pregnancy outcomes than methods employed currently.