Effects of Full-Length Kisspeptin Administration on Follicular
Development in Japanese Black Beef Cows |
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| Authors: | Yousuke NANIWA Keisuke NAKATSUKASA Shohei SETSUDA Shinya OISHI Nobutaka FUJII Fuko MATSUDA Yoshihisa UENOYAMA Hiroko TSUKAMURA Kei-ichiro MAEDA Satoshi OHKURA |
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| Institution: | 1)Graduate School of Bioagricultural Sciences, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8601, Japan;2)Research Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science;3)Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan;4)Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan |
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| Abstract: | Kisspeptin is a key molecule that stimulates gonadotropin secretion via release of
gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH). In the present study, our aim was to
investigate whether kisspeptin has stimulatory effects on follicular development via
GnRH/gonadotropin secretion in cows. Japanese Black beef cows were intravenously
injected with full-length bovine kisspeptin Kp-53 (0.2 or 2 nmol/kg)] or vehicle 5
days after they exhibited standing estrus (Day 0). In cows injected with Kp-53 at 2
nmol/kg, the follicular sizes of the first dominant follicles increased on Day 6 and
thereafter. Ovulation of the first dominant follicle occurred in 1 out of 4 cows
treated with Kp-53 at 2 nmol/kg. Injection of Kp-53 at 2 nmol/kg increased the
concentration of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) but not follicle-stimulating
hormone, over a 4-h period following injection in all cows. The present study
suggests that administration of full-length kisspeptin causes LH secretion, which is
sustained for a few hours, and it is capable of stimulating follicular development
and/or ovulation. |
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| Keywords: | Cattle Follicular development Gonadotropin Kisspeptin Ovulation |
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