Abstract
Simple SummaryIt has been documented in several species that blood levels of the hormone, anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), are an indirect measure of the number of ovarian follicles and that the number of ovarian follicles may be an indication of potential female fertility. In the present study, we determined AMH levels at various ages in immature female pigs and related these to potential measures of future fertility including age at puberty and numbers of ovarian follicles at puberty, and the gilt response to ovarian stimulation after puberty. Our results support the suggestion that blood levels of AMH are reflective of future fertility in gilts.For experiment one, blood samples were obtained from 200 gilts at 90, 120, 150, 180, and 200 days of age. Serum samples from the 30 youngest (166.1 ± 0.7 days) and 30 oldest (198.8 ± 0.6 days) gilts exhibiting estrus by 200 days, and a further 18 gilts that remained anestrus at 200 days, were assayed for serum concentrations of anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) and estradiol (E2). Gilts younger at puberty had higher (p < 0.05) AMH levels than those older at puberty, and both groups had higher AMH levels than anestrus gilts (p < 0.05). Regardless of age, serum E2 was higher (p < 0.05) in gilts that achieved puberty than in gilts remaining anestrus. At spontaneous pubertal estrus detection, there was no effect of pubertal age on the number of preovulatory ovarian follicles. For experiment two, 152 prepubertal gilts received an intramuscular (IM) injection of 400 IU eCG plus 200 IU hCG and then received fence-line boar contact to detect estrus onset. Serum AMH concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in the first 25 gilts to exhibit puberty than the last 28 gilts, with the first gilts also having more preovulatory follicles (p < 0.0001). Taken together, these data support an association between serum AMH concentrations and degree of physiological maturity and ovarian follicular development in gilts.
Highlights
An important measure of sow herd performance and potential farm profitability is the lifetime number of pigs produced per sow, a metric dependent on both the litter sizes delivered and the number of litters produced
Concentrations were higher (p < 0.05) in the first 25 gilts to exhibit puberty than the last 28 gilts, with the first gilts having more preovulatory follicles (p < 0.0001). These data support an association between serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentrations and degree of physiological maturity and ovarian follicular development in gilts
There is limited evidence that serum AMH concentration in juvenile gilts at weaning are associated with improved estrus responses to later boar exposure [9], there were no age-related differences in serum
Summary
An important measure of sow herd performance and potential farm profitability is the lifetime number of pigs produced per sow, a metric dependent on both the litter sizes delivered and the number of litters produced (i.e., parity at removal). Various management or environmental factors can affect the parity at removal, but a primary influence will be the quality of the gilts selected for the sow herd [1,2]. Of greater benefit to the industry would be an indicator of future potential fertility determined at a younger age, prior to final selection of replacements. It has been suggested that female fertility is influenced by various factors including the size of the ovarian follicular reserve [3,4]. There is compelling evidence that a marker for the size of the ovarian reserve is anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH), which is produced only in granulosa cells of growing follicles in most species [3,5,6,7]. There is limited evidence that serum AMH concentration in juvenile gilts at weaning are associated with improved estrus responses to later boar exposure [9], there were no age-related differences in serum
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