Embryonic mortality in buffaloes synchronized and mated by AI during the seasonal decline in reproductive function》.pdfVIP

Theriogenology 63 (2005) 2334–2340 /periodicals/the Embryonic mortality in buffaloes synchronized and mated by AI during the seasonal decline in reproductive function a,* a a Giuseppe Campanile , Gianluca Neglia , Bianca Gasparrini , Giorgio Galierob c a , Alberto Prandi , Rossella Di Palo , Michael J. D’Occhiod, Luigi Zicarellia aDISCIZIA, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Via F. Delpino 1, ‘‘Federico II’’ University, 80137 Naples, Italy bIZSM, Salerno Section, Italy cDSA, Udine University, Italy dFaculty of Natural Resources, Agriculture and Veterinary Science University of Queensland, Gatton Campus, Australia Received 2 July 2004; received in revised form 14 October 2004; accepted 15 October 2004 Abstract The aim was to determine the factors that contribute to embryonic mortality in buffaloes mated by AI during a period of increasing day length which corresponds to a natural decline in reproductive activity. Italian Mediterranean buffalo cows (n = 243) showing regular estrous cycles were syn- chronized using the Ovsynch-TAI program and mated by AI at 16 and 40 h after the second injection of GnRH. Blood samples were collected on Days 10 and 20 after the first AI and assayed for progesterone (P4). Pregnancy diagnosis was undertaken on Days 26 and 40 after the first AI using rectal ultrasonography. Buffaloes with a conceptus on Day 26 but not on Day 40 were judged to have undergone embryon