GONADOTROPIN DOSE AND TIMING OF ANESTHESIA FOR LAPAROSCOPIC ARTIFICIAL-INSEMINATION IN THE PUMA (FELIS-CONCOLOR)

Ovarian response to equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG) and human cho rionic gonadotrophin (hCG), the effect of timing of anaesthesia relati ve to hCG injection and the use of laparoscopic intrauterine artificia l insemination were examined in the puma (Felis concolor). In Expt 1, females were treated with 100 (n = 6) or 200 (n = 8) iu eCG (i.m.) fol lowed 80 h later by 100 iu hCG (i.m.) and were then anaesthetized 40-4 5 h after hCG injection for ovarian assessment. Although there was no difference (P > 0.05) in the number of unovulated ovarian follicles, f emales treated with 200 iu eCG had more (P < 0.05) corpora lutea per f emale and more corpora lutea as a percentage of the total number of ov arian structures. In Expt 2, all females were treated with 200 iu eCG and 80 h later with 100 iu hCG, and then anaesthetized either 31-39 h (Group A; n = 8) or 41-50 h (Group B; n = 6) after hCG injection for o varian assessment. All Group B pumas ovulated compared with only three (37.5%) Group A females (P < 0.05). Compared with Group A, Group B pu mas had more corpora lutea per female, more corpora lutea as a percent age of the total number of ovarian structures, and fewer unovulated fo llicles (P < 0.05). One of nine post-ovulatory females laparoscopicall y inseminated in utero with 16 x 10(6) motile spermatozoa became pregn ant and delivered a healthy cub. Administration of 200 iu eCG and 100 iu hCG followed by anaesthesia no earlier than 41 h after hCG treatmen t is most likely to result in ovulation in pumas, and laparoscopic art ificial insemination can be used to produce pregnancy in this species.