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Long-term effects of deslorelin implants on reproduction in the female tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii)

Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2109, Australia, ¹ Peptech Animal Health, Locked Bag No. 2053, North Ryde, New South Wales, 2113, Australia, ² Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia and ³ AgResearch, Wallaceville Animal Research Centre, Private Bag 40063, Upper Hutt, New Zealand

Correspondence should be addressed to C A Herbert; Email: cherbert{at}rna.bio.mq.edu.au

The contraceptive and endocrine effects of long-term treatment with implants containing the GnRH agonist deslorelin were investigated in female tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii). Fertility was successfully inhibited for 515 ± 87 days after treatment with a 5 mg deslorelin implant (n = 7), while control animals gave birth to their first young 159 ± 47 days after placebo implant administration (n = 8). The duration of contraception was highly variable, ranging from 344 to 761 days. The strict reproductive seasonality in the tammar wallaby was maintained once the implant had expired. This inhibition of reproduction was associated with a significant reduction in basal LH concentrations and a cessation of oestrous cycles, as evidenced by low progesterone concentrations. There was evidence to suggest that some aspect of either blastocyst survival, luteal reactivation, pregnancy or birth may be affected by deslorelin treatment in some animals. These results show that long-term inhibition of fertility in the female tammar wallaby is possible using slow-release deslorelin implants. The effects of deslorelin treatment were fully reversible and there was no evidence of negative side effects. Slow-release GnRH agonist implants may represent a practicable method for reproductive management of captive and semi-wild populations of marsupials.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C.A. Herbert, D.C. Eckery, T.E. Trigg, and D.W. Cooper Chronic Treatment of Male Tammar Wallabies with Deslorelin Implants During Pouch Life: Effects on Development, Puberty, and Reproduction in Adulthood Biol Reprod, June 1, 2007; 76(6): 1054 - 1061. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]