Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum in St. Croix Sheep
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Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU All Graduate Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 5-1990 Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum In St. Croix Sheep Richard Michael Anderson Utah State University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd Part of the Animal Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Anderson, Richard Michael, "Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum In St. Croix Sheep" (1990). All Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 4140. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/4140 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Graduate Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ENDOCRINE INTERRELATIONSHIPS DURING EARLY POSTPARTUM IN ST. CROIX SHEEP by Richard Michael Anderson A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE in Animal Science (Reproductive Biology) Approved by: UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY Logan, Utah 1990 ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF TABLES . .... .. ...... ................. .. .. .. i ii LIST OF FIGURES ............. .. ... .... ... .. .. ...... i v ABSTRACT .. ..... .... .. ....... ............. .. ...... vi I NTRODUCTION ....... ... ............. ..... ... .. .. 1 OBJECTIVES . ... ......... .. .. .. ... ......... .... .. ... 3 LITERATURE REVIEW ............ ... ................. .. .. .. ... 4 First Postpartum Ov u lation a nd Estrus ..... .. .. .. .. ... 4 Progesterone in the Postpartum Ewe ............ .. .... 8 Estradiol-17-beta i n the Postpartum Ewe ......... .. ... 10 Luteinizing Hormone in the Postpartum Ewe ............ 1 3 MATERIALS AND METHODS . ... .. .. .................... ...... 18 Group 1 ... ..... ........................• .. .. .... 18 Group 2 .... .. .......... .. .. ............. .. .. .. 19 Prelambing Management ........ .. .... ..•• ........ .. .. 19 Mana gement at Lambi ng . .. ..... .. ..... .. .. ... .. .. 19 Estrus Detection ......... ............... ... ... 2 0 Blood Sampling . • .. ......... ................. .. .. .. 20 Hormone Analysis . ......... .. .. .. ........ ... 2 2 Determination of Ov ulation .... ....... ..... ...... .. 23 Luteinizing Hormone .. .. .. .. ....... .. .. .. .. .. 2 4 Statistical Analys is .. .. .............. .. .. ......... 24 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION . ............................. .... 2 6 Postpartum Ovulation and Estrus ............. .. ..... 26 Progesterone Patterns .. • .. ................... ...... 33 Luteinizing Hormone Patterns .......... ........... .. 35 Estradiol-17-beta Patterns ........ • .. .• .. ... ... .. 38 CONCLUSIONS ....• .. ......... •• .. .. .. .. ............ ...... 51 LI TERATURE CITED . ..........• . •............... ... ... .. 53 iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Serum LH patterns in White-Face mastectomized and intact ewes before lambing and during the postpartum period ............ .... .......... .. ......... ........ .. 17 2 . Experimental groups .. ....... .......... .... ......... 18 3. The occurrence of ovulation and estrus and the length of the luteal phase in i ntact, postpartum ewes ............................ ...... ....... ... .. .. 27 4. Association of ovulation and estrus .... .. .. ... .. ..... 27 5 . Mean progesterone level in intact (pre-ovulation) ewes from day 2-14 postpartum and the mean p rogesterone level in ovariectomized ewes ............. 34 6 . Basal LH patterns for group 1 (intact, postpartum) .... 35 7. Estradiol associated with acute release of LH .. ..... .. 38 8 . Length of luteal phase in relation to maximum estradiol levels and estrus behavior ............... 39 9. Estradiol concentrations in relation to estrus detection ........................................... .. 4 o iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Concentration of progesterone in relation to bas e LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 481 ........ ....... 29 2 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to base LH lev el and LH pulse height for ewe 591 ............. ... 29 3 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to base LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 597 .. ... ... ... 30 4 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to base LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 600 .. .... .......... 30 5 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to b ase LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 625 ..•........ .. 31 6 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to base LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 626 .... .... .. ... .. 31 7. Concentration of progesterone in relation to ba s e LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 645 .............. .. 32 8 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to ba s e LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 3495 ..... ... .... 32 9 . Concentration of progesterone in relation to base LH level and LH pulse height for ewe 3514 .............. 33 10. Av erage LH base level and pulse height for group 1 (intact, postpartum) . ... .. ......... ... .. ..... .. 3 6 11. Concentration of LH and estradiol during the a c ute release of LH in ewe 481 .............................. 42 12. Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 481. .... .. .. 42 13. Concentration of LH and estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 591 ..............•...•....... .. 43 14 . Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 591 .•... .. 43 1 5 . Concentration of LH and estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 597 .•.... .••................ .. .. 4 4 16. Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 597 ........ .. .. 44 v 17. Concentration of LH and estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 600 •....•........••.... .. ..... .• . 45 18. Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 600 .... ..... •. .. 45 19. Concentration of LH and estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 625 . .•••........ ........•... •. • 46 20 . Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 625 •. •...• ...... 4 6 21. Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 626 ..• .. .. .. ... 4 7 22. Concentration of LH a nd estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 64 5 ........•. •. .. ... •..... .. .. 48 23 . Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 645 •• ........... 48 24. Concentration of LH and estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 3495 .......•••••••.•.•........... 49 25. Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 3495 •.•...... ... 49 26. Concentration of LH and estradiol during the acute release of LH in ewe 3514 . • .• •• •.••••• ..•.• . .... .. 50 27 . Concentration of LH postpartum in ewe 3514 ............ 50 vi ABSTRACT Endocrine Interrelationships During Early Postpartum in St. Croix Sheep by Richard Michael Anderson, Master of science utah state university, 1990 Major Professor: Dr. Warren C. Foote Depa rtment: Animal, Da iry and Veterinary Sciences The relationships of estradiol-17 -beta, progesterone , and LH in the early postpartum St. Croix ewe were monitored during the breeding season in 1988. A second group of non- postpartum, ovariectomized St . croix ewes were used to determine non-ovarian levels of progesterone for comparison. Results of this study indicate that: 1. The short duration rise in progesterone exhibited by some ewes is indicative of an ovulation. 2 . Ewes that do exhibit a short luteal phase prior to the first "normal" luteal phase have a longer period from parturition to the first "normal" luteal phase. 3. Serum levels of LH increase beginning 3 days postpartum. 4. There is a strong relationship between the concentration of estradiol and the exhibition of behavioral estrus in the postpartum ewe. vii 5. There appears to be a definite but somewhat irregular pulsatile release pattern of estradiol from the follicle of the postpartum ewe. The abilit y of the endocrine system of the St. Croix to return to functional levels of production and release during the first 15 days postpartum is likely related to their relatively short postpartum intervals and subsequent pregnancies. (65 pages) INTRODUCTION The duration of the postpartum interval is of e xtreme importance to the sheep industry. Current management techniques do not permit two lamb crops per year, which does not take advantage of the ewes, potential. The biological limit for sheep is estimated at a 6-month lambing interval, with 5 lambs per pregnancy (Wilson, 1968). Unfortuna tely, t he lengthy postpartum interval in combination with the seaso na l breeding habits of sheep have prevented the worl d 's s heep producers from achieving this goal. Intensive studie s of the postpartum interval have answered many questions. Howev er, many critical questions remain unanswered. The first postpartum ovulation in the St. Croix and s ome other breeds occurs at about 16 days postpartum (Simoe s , 1988). This initial ovulation is often not accompanied by behavioral estrus and may result in a luteal phase of shorter duration than normal (Gonzales et al., 1987) . This short luteal phase may be caused by a reduction in the level of estradiol or progesterone from the ovary (Foote, 1971; Sha rpe et al., 1986). The interval between the first ovulation and the first ovulation accompanied by behavioral estrus in the St. Croix ewe is 11.5 days (Simoes, 1988), or between 27.3 and 35.8 days postpartum (Evans and Foote, 1987; Simoes, 1988). The postpartum interval is directly influenced by the number of ovulations prior to an ovulation accompanied by estrus. 2 The importance of the short luteal phase has been suggested to be that the short rise in progesterone may ensure that the following LH surge will result in ovulation accompanied by