Induction of spawning in Anura by the AMPHIPLEX method.

VANCE L. TRUDEAU; GUSTAVO M. SOMOZA; GUILLERMO S. NATALE

Minneapolis

Congreso; 2011 Joint Meeting of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. University of Minnesota.; 2011

Amphibian declines and the need for captive bred frogs for toxicological studies motivated us todevelop the AMPHIPLEX method for spawning induction in mature anura. The method is basedon the injection of a combination of a gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist and adopamine antagonist. This stimulates luteinzing hormone surges in both sexes. We have namedthis formulation AMPHIPLEX, which is derived from the combination of the words amphibian andamplexus. The main experiments to estabish the method used Lithobates pipiens. It was usedin-season, after short-term captivity and in frogs artificially hibernated under laboratoryconditions. The AMPHIPLEX method was also effective in 3 Argentinian frogs, Ceratophrysornata, Ceratophrys cranwelli and Odontophrynus americanus. Thsi requires the combinedinjection of des-Gly10, D-Ala6, Pro-LHRH (0.4 microrams/g body weight) and metoclopramide(10 micrograms/g BWt. MET). These results wil be reviewed, and an outline for future use andimprovement of the method will be presented.