The effect of pretreatment with flurogestone acetate (FA) on the lifespan of corpora lutea induced with pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMS) was examined in cycling and anestrous ewes. Cycling ewes received one of three treatments: 750 IU PMS 2 d before expected estrus (P), FA-impregnated vaginal sponges for 16 d (F), and FA sponges for 16 d and 750 IU PMS 2 d before sponge removal (FP). A fourth group served as controls (C). When compared with d 12 means within treatment, plasma progesterone means were lower (P less than .05) on d 16 in control ewes, on d 15 in P and F ewes, and on d 14 in FP ewes. Only 44% of ewes receiving FA treatment alone exhibited estrus (P less than .05) compared with 100% of untreated ewes. The FP treatment increased ovulation rate compared with controls (P less than .01). The decrease in luteal lifespan observed in cycling ewes suggests a possibility of asynchrony between the uterus and embryo, which could result in failure of an embryo to prevent luteal regression, thus resulting in reduced fertility. None of the seasonally anestrous ewes that received PMS alone and only 55% of those treated with FA sponges for 8 d before PMS injection exhibited estrus. Ewes pretreated with FA exhibited higher plasma progesterone concentrations on d 10 through 16 after PMS injection. There were no differences in luteal lifespan as measured by peripheral plasma progesterone patterns. Although FA treatment did not alter luteal lifespan in anestrous ewes, the increased plasma progesterone concentrations observed with FA treatment suggest that progestogen pretreatment may be essential for optimal luteal function.

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The effect of adrenal function and flumethasone (FM, a synthetic glucocorticoid) on induction of puberty in crossbred gilts raised in confinement was examined in two experiments. In Exp. 1, gilts were adrenalectomized (Adx) or subjected to sham adrenalectomy (Sham) between 140 and 160 d of age. Twenty days later indwelling jugular catheters were implanted in Adx, Sham and another group of intact gilts designated as Controls, and the gilts were moved from confinement to outdoor pens and checked daily for estrus with a mature boar. Fewer (P less than .05) Adx (1/11) than Sham (9/14) gilts showed estrus and ovulated by 205 d of age. Response of Control gilts (6/14) was not different from the other groups. Although Adx gilts received 40 mg cortisone acetate and 10 mg deoxycorticosterone acetate daily throughout the experiment, mean plasma glucocorticoids were lower (P less than .05) in Adx (24 +/- 4.7 ng/ml) than in either Sham (47 +/- 8.1 ng/ml) or Control (44 +/- 6.1 ng/ml) gilts. Experiment 2 was conducted to determine whether FM given to Adx gilts immediately after surgery could have inhibited estrus and ovulation. Intact gilts received a total of 27.5 (FM1) or 17.5 (FM2) mg FM over 4 d between 150 and 160 d of age before relocation and boar exposure 20 d later. Control gilts received no injections. Nine of 13 FM-treated but none of the Control gilts showed estrus. It is concluded from these results that the adrenal glands may facilitate the onset of puberty in gilts through increases in glucocorticoid production, but that this is not required for puberty to occur.

Ewes were treated with a medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) sponge for 8 d followed, at sponge removal, with 500 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG) at d 30, 40 or 50 (d 0 = lambing) to induce estrus. Dry and lactating ewes were divided into equal numbers at each postpartum day and bred at estrus. Conception rates and number of accessory sperm were determined by flushing the oviducts 3 d after mating and examining the recovered ova. There was no effect (P greater than .05) of lactational status on conception rates. Conception rates increased (P less than .05) from d 30 (10%) to d 40 (45%) and from d 40 to d 50 (80%). There were fewer (P less than .05) ova with accessory sperm (5/26) in d-30 ewes compared with d-40 (10/27) or d-50 (12/24) ewes. In Exp. 2, ewes were assigned to two groups after receiving PMSG on d 30: 1) mated naturally or 2) inseminated during laparotomy near the uterotubal junction (UTJ). Dry and lactating ewes were divided evenly within each of the two treatments. Oviducts were flushed and ova were examined for cleavage. The conception rate was 60% in ewes that were inseminated in the UTJ vs 10% in ewes mated to rams (P less than .05). Lactational status had no effect on results. In conclusion, conception rates in postpartum ewes treated with MAP sponge and PMSG increased from postpartum d 30 to d 50 with natural breeding, and d-30 conception rates were increased over natural mating by insemination into the uterine horn near the UTJ.