Comparing three superovulation protocols in dromedary camels: FSH, eCG-FSH and hMG.

The objective of this study was to compare three superovulation protocols in dromedary camels. Follicular waves of dromedary camel donors (n=6) were synchronized using two GnRH injections. Superovulation was initiated 2 days after the second injection (day 0 of experiment). The experiment was conducted using change over design, where all females received three superovulation treatments one after the other with a resting period of one month in between. Superovulation was carried out for all donors using 390 mg FSH, 1000 IU eCG and 330 mg FSH, or 16.5 ampule hMG (75 i.u. FSH and 75 i.u. LH per ampoule). FSH and hMG were injected twice daily, indecreasing doses, over 5.5 days. Thirty-six h after the last FSH or hMG injection, donors were mated once and received an intravenous injection of the GnRH analogue. The diameter and number of ovarian follicles ≥4 mm on day 4 after superovulation and the total number of corpora lutea and follicles ≥9 mm on day 7.5 after mating were evaluated by ultrasound examinations. No significant differences were found between the total number of corpora lutea among FSH (13.8 ± 2.65), eCG-FSH (15 ± 2.60) and hMG (10.8 ± 2.30) and the number of expanded hatched blastocysts in FSH (5.7 ± 2.32), eCG-FSH (8.8 ± 2.10) and hMG (5.8 ± 2.40) treated donors. This study showed that all three superovulatory protocols could be used successfully and interchangeably in dromedary camels.