Momento ideal da inseminação artificial em tempo fixo com sêmen sexado na produção in vivo de embriões bovinos

Abstract

The development of reproductive biotechnology has contributed to increase production and productivity of bovine livestock, enabling a more effective increase of production of genetically superior animal. Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET) enables the production of more than one calf per female per year. With the introduction of sexed semen in commercial scale, MOET increased its use, due to limiting factors of in vitro fertilization, associated with embryo cryopreservation. Despite considerable advances in the sexing process, fertility rate obtained using this type of semen is still less than that with use of conventional unsorted semen. The aim of this research was to study the effect of semen (unsorted or sorted) and Artificial Insemination (AI) time in the fertilization rate of superovulated Bos taurus cattle. Donors (n=9) were treated with intravaginal progesterone releasing device plus 3 mg estradiol benzoate at random stage of estrous cycle (Day 0). Superstimulation treatments began on Day 4, with 200 mg FSH-p, administered in decreasing doses, during four days with two applications daily, at 12 h interval. Along with the fifth and sixth FSH dose were administered 0,150 mg d-Cloprostenol. The intravaginal device was removed on the D7,5 and on D8,5 25 mg of LH were administered. The AI’s were performed according to the type of semen (unsorted or X-sorted) and AI time: G1= unsorted semen and AI 12 and 24 h after received LH (Control Group); G2= X-sorted semen and AI 12 and 24 h after received LH; G3= X-sorted semen and AI 24 and 36 h after received LH. Each cow was submitted to three superovulatory treatments (cross-over experimental design). On D15 embryos were recovered by nonsurgical method, evaluated and classified. The percentage of fertilized ova to G1, G2 and G3 groups were 60.87% (42/69), 10.00% (9/90) and 36.54% (19/52), respectively, being G1 group superior (p<0,05) than G2 and G3 groups, while G3 was superior than G2 (p<0,05). It can be concluded that AI with sexed semen in superovulated Bos taurus cows can be administered 24 and 36 h after LH injection. However, further studies should be conducted to achieve fertilization rate similar to that obtained with unsorted semen.