The influence of fetal sex and litter size on pregnancy-associated glycoprotein concentration at the end of the embryonic period in Hasak ewes

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 458 - 464, 30.04.2025

Cevdet Peker , Hasret Ulutaş , Neffel Kürşat Akbulut , Mesut Kırbaş , Eyyüp Hakan Uçar , Deniz Sari , Mehmet Atlı , Mehmet Köse

https://doi.org/10.24880/meditvetj.1642231

Abstract

In sheep flocks, reproductive efficiency is a fundamental factor for economic profitability and a direct result of reproductive management. The management of pregnant ewes involves the diagnosis of pregnancy and the determination of the number of conceptions in utero to enable breeders to make informed decisions for the future management of the flock. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the concentration of pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) in plasma on day 35 of pregnancy can be used to predict the number and sex of conceptions in Hasak ewes. For this purpose, a total of 75 pregnant Hasak ewes aged 2-7 years kept under identical conditions were randomly selected. The pregnancy status and number of conceptions of the ewes were determined on day 35 after mating using a transrectal ultrasound technique with a 7.5 MHz linear probe. Immediately after pregnancy diagnosis, blood samples were taken from the jugular vein of all selected ewes and the plasma samples were separated. After a healthy pregnancy and lambing, the ewes were divided into five groups based on the number and sex of lambs born: singleton male lambing ewes (SM group, n=27), singleton female lambing ewes (SF group, n=27), twin male lambing ewes (TM group, n=8), twin female lambing ewes (TF group, n=7), one male and one female lambing ewes (TMF group, n=6). Plasma PAG concentrations were measured using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Data were analysed using an independent samples t-test and one-way ANOVA. The results showed that the number and sex of lambs born had no significant effect on plasma PAG concentrations measured on day 35 of pregnancy (p>0.05). In conclusion, plasma PAG concentration on day 35 of pregnancy is not a reliable predictor of the number or sex of lambs born in Hasak ewes.

Keywords

ewe , fetal sex , litter size , PAG , pregnancy diagnosis

Hasak koyunlarında embriyonal dönem sonundaki gebelik ilişkili glikoprotein konsantrasyonu üzerine kuzu cinsiyeti ve sayısının etkisi

Abstract

Koyun sürülerinde üreme performansı, ekonomik kârlılık açısından temel bir faktördür ve üreme yönetiminin bir sonucudur. Gebe koyunların yönetimi, gebelik teşhisini ve uterustaki konseptus sayısının belirlenmesini içermekte, bu da yetiştiricinin sürünün gelecekteki yönetimi için akıllıca kararlar almasını desteklemektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, Hasak koyunlarında gebeliğin 35. günündeki plazma gebelikle ilişkili glikoprotein (PAG) konsantrasyonunun konseptus sayısı ve cinsiyetini belirlemek için kullanılıp kullanılamayacağını araştırmaktı. Bu amaçla, 2-7 yaş aralığında, aynı çevresel koşullar altında tutulan, rastgele örnekleme yöntemiyle seçilmiş toplam 75 gebe Hasak koyunu çalışmaya dahil edildi. Koyunların gebelik durumu ve uterustaki konseptus sayıları, doğal çiftleşmeden 35 gün sonra 7.5 MHz lineer prob ile yapılan transrektal ultrasonografi muayenesi ile belirlendi. Gebelik tanısından hemen sonra, seçilen tüm koyunlardan vena jugularis yoluyla kan örnekleri alındı ve plazma örnekleri ayrıldı. Sağlıklı bir gebelik ve doğum sürecini takiben koyunlar, doğan kuzu sayısı ve cinsiyetine göre beş gruba ayrıldı: tek erkek kuzulayan koyunlar (TE grubu, n = 27), tek dişi kuzulayan koyunlar (TD grubu, n = 27), ikiz erkek kuzulayan koyunlar (İE grubu, n = 8), ikiz dişi kuzulayan koyunlar (İD grubu, n = 7) ve bir erkek bir dişi kuzulayan koyunlar (İED grubu, n = 6). Plazma PAG konsantrasyonları, ticari bir enzim bağlı immünosorbent test (ELISA) kiti kullanılarak ölçüldü. Elde edilen veriler bağımsız örneklem t-testi ve tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA) ile analiz edildi. Elde edilen sonuçlar, gebeliğin 35. gününde ölçülen plazma PAG konsantrasyonunun doğan kuzu sayısı ve cinsiyeti üzerinde anlamlı bir etkisinin olmadığını gösterdi (p>0.05). Özetle, Hasak koyunlarında gebeliğin 35. günündeki plazma PAG konsantrasyonunun, doğacak kuzuların sayısını ve cinsiyetini tahmin etmede güvenilir bir belirteç olmadığı sonucuna varılmıştır.

Keywords

Koyun , Fetal cinsiyet , Yavru sayısı , PAG , Gebelik tanısı

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