Suppression of ovarian activity in a captive African Lion Panthera leo after deslorelin treatment

With the intent to evaluate the efficiency of a contraceptive treatment for cyclic ovarian suppression in African Lionesses Panthera leo using a Gonadotrophin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) agonist bioimplant, noninvasive fecal steroid assay associated with the observation of the behavioral estrus were employed for a period of 36 months. Five captive adult females, maintained with a vasectomized male, subcutaneously received a 9.4mg deslorelin acetate implant. The treatment initially stimulated behavioral estrus along with ovarian activity, demonstrated by an estrogen increase in two lionesses. A rise in progesterone concentration in two other animals suggested possible treatment-induced ovulation. After the initial period, deslorelin prevented ovarian activity for at least 22 months. Two females exhibited signs of behavioral estrus after 22 and 31 months. A third lioness with an increased estrogen concentration did not exhibit behavioral estrus signs or a consequent progesterone surge until 33 months after implantation, suggesting a possible resumption of ovarian activity. One female did not exhibit any behavioral estrus signs nor a rise in steroid levels after the “treatment-induced” estrus throughout the entire experiment (36 months). One lioness died after 15 months without exhibiting signs of estrus or an increased progesterone level, however, the estrogen concentration increased 12 months post-implantation, suggesting resumed ovarian activity. The study showed that long-term treatment with a GnRH agonist can be extremely effective as a contraceptive treatment in African lionesses, however, the duration of contraception may vary among individuals and may bear the risk of permanent loss of normal ovarian activity.

Pregnancy after mumps: a case report

Introduction Oophoritis, a complication of mumps, is said to affect only 5% of all postpubertal women. In this report, we present a case of a 31-year-old Iranian woman with amenorrhea and infertility due to an infantile uterus and atrophic ovaries associated with contracting mumps at a young age. She later successfully carried a healthy baby to term. Case presentation The patient was diagnosed with oophoritis when she was 8 years of age. She had no menses before treatment. The patient underwent a low-dose contraceptive treatment from age 19 until she was 31 years of age. During this period, the size of her uterus was constantly monitored, which revealed constant yet slow uterine growth. At age 31, Drospil (containing 3 mg of drospirenone and 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol) treatment was initiated and administered for 3 months, which led to substantial uterine growth and menses. After her uterus had reached a mature size, the patient was referred to an assisted reproductive technology clinic. There she received a donor oocyte that was fertilized with the sperm of her husband. She had a successful low-risk pregnancy after the second embryo transfer. Conclusion Low-dose contraceptive treatment containing progesterone, followed by Drospil, which includes both estradiol and progesterone, had a synergistic effect that led to the growth of the patient’s uterus.

Corrigendum to: Multi-year fertility reduction in free-roaming feral horses with single-injection immunocontraceptive formulations

Context. Contraception is increasingly used as a management technique to reduce fertility in wildlife populations; however, the feasibility of contraceptive formulations has been limited until recently because they have required multiple treatments to achieve prolonged infertility. Aims. We tested the efficacy and evaluated potential side effects of two contraceptive formulations, a porcine zona pellucida (PZP) formulation, SpayVac� and a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) formulation GonaCon-B?, in a population of free-roaming feral horses (Equus caballus). Both formulations were developed to provide several years of infertility with one injection. Methods. Females were treated in June 2005 with either GonaCon-B (n�=�24), SpayVac (n�=�20), adjuvant only (n�=�22), or received no injection (n�=�18). Females were monitored for fertility status year round for 3 years after treatment. Key results. Both contraceptive treatments significantly reduced fertility for 3 years. Fertility rates for GonaCon-B mares were 39%, 42% and 31%, respectively, and 37%, 50% and 44% for SpayVac mares. During the same seasons, 61%, 67% and 76% of control females were fertile. We found no significant effects from contraceptive treatment on the sex ratio of foals, birthing season or foal survival. Conclusions. These results demonstrated that both vaccines are capable of significantly reducing fertility for several years without boosters. Implications. Contraceptive vaccines examined in the present study represent a useful tool for the management of feral horses, because of their being efficacious for 3 years in the absence of booster immunisations.