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. 2021 Jan 23;28(3-4):263–269. doi: 10.1186/BF03548592

Clinical, Morphological and Endocrinological Studies in Gilts with Delayed Puberty

Kliniska, morfologiska och hormonella studier av gyltor med försenad könsmognad

A-M Dalin 1,✉, L Eliasson 1
PMCID: PMC8185790  PMID: 3454537

Abstract

Thirty-six gilts which had not shown oestrus at about 8 months of age or more were transported from the pig research station to the clinic, a journey of 12 km. The gilts were examined by laparoscopy and those which had only small follicles in the ovaries were catheterized and placed in pens, with sexually mature boars kept in adjacent pens. Oestrus detection was done twice daily and blood was sampled three times a day. After 7 days the laparoscopy was repeated and gilts which still had only small follicles in their ovaries were given 250 μg GnRH intravenously the following day. Blood samples were taken frequently before and after GnRH treatment. One week. after administration of GnRH the ovaries were inspected by laparoscopy once more.

The first laparoscopic examination showed that 42 % of the gilts were sexually mature. One gilt had no uterus or ovaries. Twenty gilts had only small follicles in the ovaries and fourteen of these gilts showed ovulatory oestrus 5.5 days (4-7.5 days) after arrival. In these fourteen gilts a rise in the oestradiol-17B level (>30 pmol/1) was seen at an average time of 1.9 days and a rise in LH (preovulatory peak) was seen at an averaged 4.5 days after the start of blood sampling. Six gilts were given 250 ug GnRH. An immediate rise in LH could be seen in all the gilts (mean peak level was 6.18 μg/l) and the elevated levels had a duration of 4 hours. None of the GnRH-treated gilts responded with oestrus symptoms or increased ovarian activity.

Keywords: transport, oestradiol-17B, LH, GnRH-treatment

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Acknowledgment

This investigation was supported by grants from the Swedish Council for Forestry and Agricultural Research. The Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics is gratefully acknowledged for supplying the gilts. Thanks are also due to Prof. Stig Einarsson for valuable advice and to Marianne Carlsson, Eva Hedberg, Mari Wallbring and Carina Ahlstedt for their excellent technical assistance.

Antiserum to ovine LH was kindly donated by Dr. G. D. Niswender, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA. The authors are indebted to Dr. L. E. Reichert for supplying porcine LH for iodination and as standard.

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