The use of real-time ultrasonography to select embryo
donos participating in a transgenesis goat programme
D.I.A. Teixeira, E.S. Lopes-Júnior, F.C. Sousa, E.S.P. Pinheiro, I.A.
Serova, L.E. Andreeva, V.J.F. Freitas
Abstract
The efficiency of the transrectal real-time ultrasonography (RTU)
scanning technique to monitor the number of corpora haemorraghica
(CH) of goat embryo donors was compared to results obtained by a
reference method (laparotomy). The ovaries of 24 Saanen goats were
observed by RTU, approximately 72 h after superovulatory treatment,
followed by laparotomy. The diameter of the four largest CHs was
measured using image analysis software. The use of ultrasonographic
scanning allowed in determining if a goat had ovulated or not in all the
females. In all the ovaries examined the total number of CHs counted
was lower (p < 0.01) with RTU than following the laparotomy method.
The correlation coefficient between the number of identified CHs
detected by the two methods was significantly positive (r2 = 0.71; p <
0.001). The sensitivity, specificity and total efficiency of the
ultrasonographic observation to determine the occurrence of ovulations
in a goat was 100.0%. However, the sensitivity to determine the
presence of multiple ovulations was only 25.0%, but the specificity
remained 100.0%. The mean diameter of the four largest CHs per ovary
following superovulation was 6.88 ± 0.22 mm. In conclusion,
assessment of the ovulatory response by transrectal RTU can be used to
select responding goat donors in a transgenesis programme or to
evaluate a donor with multiple ovulations, but not to establish the exact
number of CHs.