Seasonal, environmental and nutritional effects on gonadotrophins - Implications for establishment and maintenance of early pregnancy in the pig

Apart from driving the follicular development during the oestrous cycle, go nadotrophins are also essential in the establishment and maintenance of ear ly pregnancy in the pig. Therefore, any variation in gondotrophin secretion particularly during the first month after mating may be significant, eithe r effecting embryonic survival or even maintenance of early pregnancy. The most obvious sources of variation in gonadotrophin secretion during the ear ly pregnancy are changes caused by season, nutrition and environment. The p resent paper reviews the impact of these factors on gondotrophin secretion and the implications of this variation in gonadotrophin secretion during ea rly pregnancy is discussed.