• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.199-203
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• 2021

A 4-year-old Thoroughbred mare was brought to the Korea Racing Authority Equine Hospital with heightened sensitivity to touch of the hindquarter, reluctance to step forward, frequent urination even during training, clitoral winking, tail swinging, tail lifting, and training difficulties due to being in constant heat. The trainer claimed that she was in heat and exhibited reduced performance. Physical and lameness examinations revealed no abnormality. Rectal palpation and transrectal ultrasonography revealed normal reproductive organs and estrus. As she exhibited typical estrous behavior without any other physical conditions, the mare was considered to express undesirable estrous behavior. An intrauterine glass ball was inserted into the mare on ovulation day. However, the estrous behaviors were reduced unsatisfactorily. Additionally, 1 mL of peanut oil was administered on the 10th day after the intrauterine device insertion. The mare returned to training and expressed no undesirable estrous behavior over 30 days after the peanut oil treatment. However, further follow-ups were not conduct as the mare was retired to a farm after a limb injury occurred during training. This is the first report of undesirable estrous behavior in a Thoroughbred mare under the rules of racing in Korea. It is recommended that equine clinicians in Korea consider peanut oil as a therapeutic agent to control mares' estrous behavior-related problems.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.61-68
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• 2018

The major focus of this study is to analyze the expression of bovine MMPs and to monitor their activity during the estrus cycle and pregnancy. During pregnancy, MMP-2 expression was detectable around 30 days but became insignificant by 60 days, then started to increase again around 90 days and reached the maximum at 250 days. The activity of MMP-2 protein changed in accordance with its expression level. As expected, the level of TIMP-2 exhibited a reverse pattern. About MMP-9, high level expression was observed as early as 30 days and gradually increase until 90 days. Then started to decrease after 250 days. Again, the sites of MMP-9 expression were similar to those of MMP-2. On the other hand, expression of TIMP-3 remained low until 90 days but showed a small and temporal increase around 250 days. In summary, expression of different MMPs were differentially regulated during estrus cycle and pregnancy. While the expression of MMP-2 was high in estrus cycle, MMP-9 slowly takes over with the progression of pregnancy. These results indicated that the luteal tissue perform distinct functions during pregnancy and estrus. Perhaps the activity of MMP-2 is required for the structural remodeling of luteum, resulting the suppression of P4 inflow from blood. On the other hand, steady maintenance of MMP-9 throughout luteal development is important for the activation of cell proliferation, maturation and angiogenesis.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.165-171
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• 1993

While ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) is considered a key enzyme in the biosynthesis of polyamines, difluoromethylornithine(DFMO) acts as an inhibitor of polyamine synthesis. Cycling crossbred gilts were randomly assigned to one of two (treatment and control) groups (6/group). An indwelling silicone catheter was surgically implanted in the jugular vein of each animal. DFMO was dissolved in saline(200 mg/ml) and adminstered by i. m. injection at a dose of 80 mg/kg/day. The control group received an equivalent volume saline injection. DFMO was injected 3 times daily(08:00. 16:00. 24:00h) from day 16 of estrous cycle to 21 or until estrus. Once daily blood samples (10ml) were taken from day 14 until two days after the last DFMO treatment. Window blood samples were collected every 15 min for 8 h (from 08:00 to 16:00h) starting on day 16 and continuing until day 21 from one gilt per day. Serum progesterone (P$_4$), estradiol (E$_2$), LH and FSH were measured. Typical concentration profiles for P$_4$ and E$_2$ were seen during the follicular phase regardless of DFMO treatment. Injection of DFMO suppressed the preovulatory LH concentration in the serum(p<0.01) while having no effect on FSH profile. The present results indicate that DFMO had an inhibitory effect on LH secretion in the pig, but did not affect PI, E2 or FSH release.