ANTI-MÜLLERIAN HORMONE OF NON-PUBERAL ADULT DOGS TREATED NEONATALLY WITH A GNRH AGONIST

FAYA, M.; MARCHETTI, C.; PRIOTTO, M.; GRISOLIA, M.

venecia

Congreso; European Veterinary Society For Small Animals Reproduction; 2018

EVSSAR

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) is a glycoprotein belonging to the transforming growth factors (TGF-β). Anti-Müllerian hormone plays a fundamental role in the regression of Müllerian ducts in male embryo. In its absence, Müllerian ducts develop into female inner reproductive organs. In males, it is produced in Sertoli cells of testes until puberty and then slowly decreases to residual values for the rest of the life. Anti-Müllerian hormone serves as a biochemical marker of the presence of testes in cryptorchidic males [2]. In females, AMH is secreted by granulosa cells of small follicles in the ovary. Serum values are almost undetectable during infancy and then rapidly increase with the onset of puberty, reflecting the initial recruitment of primordial follicles. Anti-Müllerian hormone is produced in growing follicles until they reach a stage when dominant follicle is detached from a cohort of antral follicles. In females, the measurement of serum AMH levels represents the ovarian follicular reserve. In both genders, AMH has been useful to distinguish intact from gonadectomized dogs [2,3].To further describe the reproductive status, AMH was measured in serum samples of 3 (2 cryptorchid males, 1 female), mongrel, 11.1±1.7 kg, 24 months old, non-pubertal littermates, which had been treated postnatally with 18.8 mg of deslorelin acetate (two 9.4 mg implants, Suprelorin,Virbac, France) [1]. Anti-Müllerian hormone was determined by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (Beckman Coulter, AMH-Gen II, USA) which was validated for canine AMH [2].Results: The males AMH serum concentrations were 21.3 ng/ml and 4.9 ng/ml and the female was < 0.1 ng/ml. While the male results were within our AMH normal range for intact male dogs of similar age and size, the female value was coincident with our spayed/castrated concentrations (unpublished laboratory data). In line with the present male results, no differences between intact and cryptorchid dogs were found in a previous canine study [2]. Additionally, extremely low or non detectable AMH concentrations have been previously described for gonadectomized male and female dogs [2,3]. The non detectable AMH concentration in this GnRH treated bitch could represent a null ovary follicular reserve. Anti-Müllerian hormone showed to be useful to further define the reproductive status of dogs treated with a contraceptive protocol.