Abstract
Two experiments were carried out in order to determine whether melatonin can improve secretion of progesterone in vivo, and its effect on embryonic development in vitro. In the first experiment, blood samples were collected from 5 ewes at 15 min intervals for 2 h at 7 and 10 days after withdrawal of progestagen pessaries. The first hour constituted a control period, which ended with an intravenous administration of 3 μg/(kg bw)0.75 melatonin. All the ewes on day 7 and three of the ewes on day 10 showed a progesterone response to melatonin challenge, defined as an increase in the plasma progesterone concentration in at least two consecutive samples during the post-treatment period above the mean+2SD of the values in the pre-treatment period. A paired t-test revealed a significant effect of melatonin on the overall plasma progesterone concentrations before and after the challenge, both on day 7 (pre, 0.61±0.11; post, 0.73±0.13 ng/ml; p<0.01) and day 10 (pre, 1.16±0.19; post, 1.30±0.20 ng/ml; p<0.05). Ninety-one thawed embryos (46 morulae and 45 blastocysts) were used in the second experiment, being cultured with or without 1 μg/ml melatonin. If the embryos were blastocysts when the culture started, melatonin increased the percentage that had hatched after 24 h of culture (p<0.01), and there was a lower percentage of degenerated embryos at the end of the incubation period (p<0.05). It may be concluded that melatonin treatment in sheep can increase both fertility and prolificacy by improving luteal function and embryonic survival.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Ashworth, C.J., Sales, D.I. and Wilmut, I., 1989. Evidence of an association between the survival of embryos and the periovulatory plasma progesterone concentration in the ewe. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 87, 23-32
Beard, A.P., Hunter, M.G. and Lamming, G.E., 1994. Quantitative control of oxytocin-induced PGF2α release by progesterone and oestradiol in ewes. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 100, 143-150
Bittman, E.L., Karsch, F.J. and Hopkins, J.W., 1983. Role of the pineal gland in ovine photoperiodism: regulation of seasonal breeding and negative feedback effects of estradiol upon luteinizing hormone secretion. Endocrinology, 113, 329-336
Cagnacci, A., Krauchi, K., Wirzjustice, A. and Volpe, A., 1997. Homeostatic versus circadian effects of melatonin on core body temperature in humans. Journal of Biological Rhythms, 12, 509-517
Chemineau, P., Vandaele, E., Brice, G. and Jardon, C. 1991. Utilisation des implants de mélatonine pour l'amélioration des performances de reproduction chez la brebis. Recueil de Médecine Vétérinaire, 167, 227-239
Durotoye, L.A., Argo, C.M., McNeil, M.E., Graham, N.B. and Rodway, R.G., 1985. Early lambing and increased lambing percentage with slow-release hydrogel melatonin implants. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, Abstract Series, 1, 83
Durotoye, L.A., Webley, G.E. and Rodway, R.G., 1997. Stimulation of the production of progesterone by the corpus luteum of the ewe by the perfusion of melatonin in vivo and by treatment of granulosa cells with melatonin in vitro. Research in Veterinary Science, 62, 87-91
Espinar, A., Osuna, C., Feliu, C. and Guerrero, J.M., 1994. High-activity of retinal N-acetyltransferase in the early development of the chick embryo. Independence of lighting conditions. Neuroscience Letters, 179, 103-106
Forcada, F., Zarazaga, L. and Abecia, J.A., 1995. Effect of exogenous melatonin and plane of nutrition after weaning on estrous activity, endocrine status and ovulation rate in Salz ewes lambing in the seasonal anoestrus. Theriogenology, 43, 1179-1193
Forcada, F., Abecia, J.A., Lozano, J.M. and Zúñiga, O., 2000. Repeated superovulation of high-prolificacy Rasa Aragonesa ewes before culling as an inexpensive way to obtain high-quality embryos. Livestock Production Science, 66, 263-269
Haresign, W., Peters, A.R. and Staples, L.D., 1990. The effect of melatonin implants on breeding activity and litter size in commercial sheep flocks in the UK. Animal Production, 50, 111-121
Iuvone, P.M. and Gan, J.W., 1994. Melatonin receptor-mediated inhibition of cyclic-AMP accumulation in chick retinal cell-cultures. Journal of Neurochemistry, 63, 118-124
Koumitzis, S.A., Belibasaki, S. and Doney, J.M., 1989. Melatonin advances and condenses the onset of seasonal breeding in Greek dairy ewes. Animal Production, 48, 399-405
McElhinny, A.S., Davis, F.C. and Warner, C.M., 1996. The effect of melatonin on cleavage rate of C57BL/6 and CBA/Ca preimplantation embryos cultured in vitro. Journal of Pineal Research, 21, 44-48
McEvoy, T.G., Robinson, J.J., Aitken, R.P. and Robertson, I.S., 1998. Melatonin treatments of embryo donor and recipient ewes during anestrus affects their endocrine status, but not ovulation rate, embryo survival or pregnancy. Theriogenology, 49, 943-955
McMillan, W.H. and Sealey, R.C., 1989. Do melatonin implants influence the breeding season in Coopworth ewes? Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, 49, 43-46
Naitana, S., Dattena, M., Gallus, M., Loi, P., Branca, A., Ledda, S. and Cappai, P., 1995. Recipient synchronization affects viability of vitrified ovine blastocysts. Theriogenology, 43, 1371-1378
Naitana, S., Loi, P., Ledda, S., Cappai, P., Dattena, M., Bogliolo, L. and Leoni, G., 1996. Effect of biopsy and vitrification on in vitro survival of ovine embryos at different stages of development. Theriogenology, 46, 813-824
Naitana, S., Ledda, S., Loi, P., Leoni, G., Bogliolo, L., Dattena, M. and Cappai, P., 1997. Polyvinyl alcohol as a defined substitute for serum in vitrification and warming solutions to cryopreserve ovine embryos at different stages of development. Animal Reproduction Science, 48, 247-256
Rondón, Z., Forcada, F., Zarazaga, L., Abecia, J.A. and Lozano, J.M., 1996. Oestrus activity, ovulation rate and plasma melatonin concentrations in Rasa Aragonesa ewes maintained at two different and constant body condition score levels and implanted or reimplanted with melatonin. Animal Reproduction Science, 41, 225-236
Russel, A.J.F., Doney, J.M. and Gunn, R.G., 1969. Subjective assessment of body fat in live sheep. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge, 72, 451-454
Ubeda, A., Trillo, M.A., House, D.E. and Blackman, C.F., 1995. Melatonin enhances junctional transfer in normal C3H/10T1/2 cells. Cancer Letters, 91, 241-245
Wallace, J.M., Robinson, J.J., Wigzell, S. and Aitken, R.P., 1988. Effects of melatonin on the peripheral concentrations of LH and progesterone after oestrus, and on conception rate in ewes. Journal of Endocrinology, 119, 523-530
Webley, G.E. and Luck, M.R., 1986. Melatonin directly stimulates the secretion of progesterone by human and bovine granulosa cells in vitro. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 78, 711-717
Webley, G.E., Luck, M.R. and Hearn, J.P., 1988. Stimulation of progesterone secretion by cultured human granulosa cells with melatonin and catecholamines. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 84, 669-677
Winterberger-Torres, S. and Sevellec, C., 1987. Atlas of the Early Development of the Sheep Embryo, (INRA, Paris)
Yeates, N.T.M., 1949. The breeding season of the sheep with particular reference to its modification by artificial means using light. Journal of Agricultural Science, 39, 1-43
Yie, S.M., Niles, L.P. and Younglai, E.V., 1995. Melatonin receptors on human granulosa cell membranes. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 80, 1747-1749
Zarazaga, L., Malpaux, B., Guillaume, D., Bodin, L. and Chemineau, P., 1998. Genetic variability in melatonin concentrations in ewes originates in its synthesis not in its catabolism. American Journal of Physiology, 274, 1086-1090
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Abecia, J., Forcada, F. & Zúñiga, O. The Effect of Melatonin on the Secretion of Progesterone in Sheep and on the Development of Ovine Embryos In Vitro . Vet Res Commun 26, 151–158 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014099719034
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014099719034