Antral Follicle Count And Serum Anti Mullerian Hormone Levels Vis À Vis Invitro Embryo Production In Ongole Bos Indicus Cows

Abstract

A study was conducted to test the hypothesis that ovarian antral follicle newlinepopulation and serum anti Mullerian hormone levels were strongly associated and both newlinethese attributes have relationship with OPU performed with or without FSH pre newlinestimulation and IVEP efficiency. In the first part of the study, AFC and AMH were newlineassessed in a total of 84 Ongole (Bos indicus) cows and based on AFC the cows were newlinecategorised as high AFC (and#8805;50 antral follicles), intermediate AFC (26-49 antral newlinefollicles) and low AFC (and#8804;25 antral follicles). Both AFC and AMH were highly newlinevariable among cows. The mean antral follicle count was recorded to be 34.10 ± 2.11 newlineand the average serum concentration of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) was 1.04 ± newline0.08 ng/ml. The AFC was significantly higher in youngest 20% (45.57 ± 5.37) and newlineintermediate 60% (34.82 ± 2.53) animals than the oldest 20% (20.59 ± 2.91) cows. newlineSerum AMH levels were greatest in youngest 20% (1.88 ± 0.26) cows compared to newlineintermediate 60% (0.90 ± 0.08) and oldest 20% (0.62 ± 0.06) cows. A highly newlinesignificant (P lt 0.01) positive correlation was noticed between AFC and AMH and newlineboth of them showed a highly significant negative correlation (P lt 0.01) with age and newlineparity. The age specific decline in AFC and AMH were more conspicuous beyond 13 newlineyears age. newlineA sub set of twelve animals from each of the high, intermediate and low AFC newlinecategories were randomly assigned to group 1, group 2 and group 3, respectively and newlineall the 36 animals were subjected to OPU with and without gonadotropin prestimulation newlinein a crossover design. Gonadotropin treated cows received 200 mg NIH newlineFSH- P1 as single dose given on day four of follicular wave synchronisation with newlineCIDR implantation and OPU 36-48 h after FSH administration. The overall number newlineof follicles available for aspiration was recorded to be 52.04 ± 3.39. The total mean newlinenumber of follicles available for aspiration was significantly higher (P lt 0.05) in newlinestimulated sessions (59.69 ± 5.35) than in un-stimulated sessions (44.39 ± 3.81). In newlineboth un-stimulated and st