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Process for the synchronization of ovulation for timed breeding without heat detectionRelated Patent Categories: Drug, Bio-affecting And Body Treating Compositions, Designated Organic Active Ingredient Containing (doai), Peptide Containing (e.g., Protein, Peptones, Fibrinogen, Etc.) Doai, Cyclopeptides, 25 Or More Peptide Repeating Units In Known Peptide Chain StructureProcess for the synchronization of ovulation for timed breeding without heat detection description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070173450, Process for the synchronization of ovulation for timed breeding without heat detection. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 60/508,509 filed Oct. 3, 2003 entitled "Process for the Synchronization of Ovulation for Timed Breeding Without Heat Detection" by James W. Lauderdale. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] This invention relates to the reproductive management of sows and gilts and more particularly processes for synchronizing ovulation in such swine for timed artificial breeding with a reduction in or with no regard to estrus detection. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] The administration of hormones to control the reproductive process in domestic animals such as horse, cows, sheep, goats and swine is well known in the art. One approach to managing reproductive processes in domestic mammals involves the direct administration of gonadotropins to domestic animals. Gonadotropins are produced by the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland and are characterized as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). Typically such hormones are extracted from the porcine pituitary glands and are administered to domestic animals to control or stimulate the ovulatory process. One gonadotropin formulation is FSH-P produced by Schering-Plough Corp. FSH-P has a fairly high and variable content of luteinizing hormone and while effective in producing an ovulatory response, has been less than desirable in producing high fertilization rates and viable embryos. Another formulation, which contains a low and controlled level of luteinizing hormone with high follicle stimulating activity, is disclosed in U.S. Pat No. B1 4,780,451 to Donaldson. Gonadotropin release hormone (GnRH) can also be used to stimulate ovulation as related in U.S. Pat. No. 5,180,711 to Hodgen. In that instance GnRH is administered subsequent to a GnRH antagonist which effectively suppressed natural gonadotropin levels. The GnRH then stimulates the release of endogenous FSH and LH leading to follicle development and ovulation. The use of similar hormones for control of ovulation in cattle is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,957 to Wiltbank. [0004] A number of different preparations of gonadotropins are available commercially including Fertagyl, Cystorelin, Chorulon, Folltropin-V, Factrel, PG600, Receptal and others. In addition, certain GnRH analogs, or agonists, such as deslorelin and buserelin are also available. These hormones may be administered to the various domestic species by implant, by intramuscular or subcutaneous injection or by mucosal applications such as intranasal and intravaginal routes. Gonadotropins may also be administered with excipients or delivery systems, which delay or control the release over time to produce more natural or even extended release patterns of LH. See U.S. Pat. No. 6,051,558 to Burns, et. al. [0005] A major goal of commercial swine production is to maximize reproductive efficiency. Increased reproductive efficiency offers producers substantial opportunities to reduce production costs and enhance profitability. Part of the production costs is the result of a heavy reliance on daily heat detection of individual animals (W. L. Flowers and H.-D. Alhusen, (1992) J. Animal Science 70:615-621) since gilts and sows are bred based on spontaneous estrus cycles. Approximately half of the labor in swine breeding facilities is devoted to detection of estrus in breeding gilts and sows. Gilts or sows must be checked at least once daily in order to be bred at the correct time, and, if artificial insemination ("AI") is used, it may be necessary to check twice daily in order to achieve the best results. Rigorous heat detection is necessary because it is difficult to predict the day of heat for any cyclic gilt or open sow, even with good heat detection records. [0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a means of inducing ovulation that allows for artificial insemination in the absence of heat detection. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007] A method for synchronizing ovulation in swine in order to provide for effective reproductive management through timed artificial insemination without estrus (heat) detection has been developed. A hormone, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or a combination drug with similar activity such as PG600, is administered to a postpartum sow at a timed interval post weaning in order to stimulate ovulation. After a suitable period of time (according to breed of swine and farrowing records), a single timed AI breeding is administered to achieve normal pregnancy rates and litter sizes with no regard to estrus detection. [0008] Preferably the GnRH is administered in the form of 50 mcg of deslorelin in an extended release carrier such as the SAIB excipient available from Birmingham Polymers. Other GnRH preparations may be administered in the range of 10-100 mcg. Such products as hCG may be administered in doses as high as 750 IU. The dose amounts as designated herein are for the hormones in their "native form" or in the case of GnRH analogs, such as deslorelin, are designated as the equivalent amount of the hormone in question in the "native form." [0009] Examples demonstrate that the method of synchronization was highly effective as compared to controls requiring much more labor intensive breeding techniques. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0010] FIGS. 1a and 1b are graphs showing that a single injection of 50 mcg of deslorelin in SAIB produced a LH peak about twice normal value (FIG. 1a), compared to Hansel et al., (1973) Biology of Reproduction 8, 222) (FIG. 1b), which returned to base level by 18 hours as determined by RIA. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [0011] Effective reproductive management of swine has become an important factor for swine producers, particularly in view of continued vertical integration of the industry where the predominant model is an "all-in-all-out" method of production. In this method waves of pigs are produced for cost efficiencies, disease control and feed rationing to produce groups of pigs meeting ideal marketing weights at the same time. Reproductive control is the first step in the process whereby farrowing houses are filled with gilts and/or sows which are bred to farrow during a tight interval, usually 5 to 7 days. This assures that weaning of piglets from the whole farrowing house can occur on the same day and in turn groups of pigs from any one unit are of the same age, close in size and stage of development. In commercial swine husbandry this helps control disease, reduces stress among aggregated groups and maximizes the utilization of various feed formulations as the pigs proceed toward market weight. [0012] It is well known by those skilled in the art of swine production that to maximize reproductive efficiency estrus detection becomes an important and major task. Estrus is the period of boar or breeding receptivity. Estrus detection, as presently practiced on commercial swine farms, is a daily or twice daily labor-intensive process. The process involves individual exposure of each gilt or sow to a boar and manually putting back-pressure (the "riding test") on each animal to determine if the standing heat "immobilization" reflex is triggered (Gordon, I., Controlled Reproduction in Pigs, CAB International, 1997). This is performed on each individual in the breeding pool not known to have been recently bred and gone out of estrus. The process continues right through the estrus period and the sow or gilt is bred multiple times until it no longer is deemed receptive. [0013] At the start of a normal estrus (heat) in domestic animals, the brain secretes large amounts of GnRH that in turn causes a release of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (LH) which will cause ovulation of the Graafian follicles over a 24-48 hour time period. In swine, peak estradiol levels occur several days prior to the signs of estrus and, indeed, the LH peak often occurs at the time estrus is evidenced (Niswender et al Endocrinology 37, 576-580 (1970)). [0014] The duration of the estrus cycle in the sow is relatively constant year round at 21 days without obvious seasonality (Asdell, (1964) Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction, 2nd edn. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, USA, pp. 670; Dziuk, (1991) Reproduction in the pig. In: Cupps, P. T. (ed.) Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 4th edn. Academic Press, New York, pp. 471-489) although there may be some tendency for less consistency in late summer (Stork, M. G. (1979) Veterinary Record 104, 49-52; Hurtgen and Leman, (1980) J. Amer. Vet. Med. Ass. 177, 631-635) possibly due to shortened day length. Gilts may tend toward shorter cycles than mature sows (Asdell, (1964) Patterns of Mammalian Reproduction, 2nd edn. Cornell University Press, Ithaca, USA, 670 pp.). Behavioral estrus occurs over a 2-3 day period, the onset of which is preceded by peak estradiol levels and coincides with peak LH levels (Hansel et al., (1973) Biol. Repro. 8, 222) which are responsible for the maturation and ovulation of follicles (Hunter and Polge, (1966) J. Repro. Fert. 12, 525-531; Hunter (1977) Brit. Vet. J. 133, 499-501). Ovulation occurs about 40 hours after the onset of estrus if estrus is 2 days in duration or about 75% of the way through the estrus if it is longer than 2 days (Gordon, 1997 Controlled Reproduction in Pigs, CAB International, 1997). The multiple ovulations occur over approximately 1-6 hours (Betteridge and Raeside, (1962) Res. Vet. Sci. 3, 390-398; Du Mesnil du Buisson and Signoret, 1970 Du Mesnil du Boisson, F. and Signoret, J. P. (1970) Vet. Rec. 87, 562-568; Soede and Kemp, 1993 Soede, N. M. and Kemp, B. (1993) Theriogenology 39, 1043-1053). [0015] Attempted hormonal control of the estrus period and ovulation is well described in the literature. The controls have been described using more than one steroid/gonadotropin/prostaglandin or their analogs in series or combination of injections at various timings depending on the nature of the particular group, including pre-pubertal and pubertal gilts, sows farrowed but pre-weaning, at the time of weaning or post weaning. Injectable and oral progesterone and progestagens (Ulberg et al (1951) J. Animal Sci. 10, 665-671); Gerrits et al., (1963) J. Animal Sci. 21, 1022-1025), altrenogest (Martinat-Botte et al., 1985 Martinatt-Botte, F., Bariteau, F., Badouard, B. and Terqui, M. (1985) J. Reprod. Fert. Suppl. 33, 211-228) altrenogest with PMSG and GnRH/hCG (Busch et al., (1992) Monatshefte fur Veteriarmedizin 47, 307-316), prostaglandins (Jackson and Hutchinson, Veterinary Record 106 33-34), methallibure, PMSG and hCG (Polge et al., (1968) Veterinary Record 83, 136-142; F. De Rensis et al., (2003) Animal Reproduction Science 76: 245-250) have either met with limited success (progestagens), failed (prostaglandins), been banned from the market (methallibure) or require daily oral dosing (altrenogest), multiple injections (estradiol, progesterone) or combinations of drugs (PMSG, hCG GnRH) coupled with continued heat detection in order to create detectable breeding efficiencies. [0016] Those skilled in the art continue to use multiple sequential hormonal intervention in order to control the time of estrus and time of ovulation in the estrous cycling gilt, such as a sequence of altrenogest or methallibure to inhibit pituitary gonadotropin followed by eCG or hCG or a GnRH, and postpartum sow, such as eCG post-weaning followed by a GnRH or a combination of a GnRH and hCG with breeding by a timed AI (Brussow et al, (1996) Theriogenology 46: 925-934). GnRH has been investigated as a "fertility enhancer" in the sow by injecting 1 day or 11 to 12 days following first service (Peters et al, (2000) Vet. Record 147:649-652). As recently as 2003 (DeRensis et al, 2003), those skilled in the art continued to investigate PG 600 injected at or prior to weaning as a method to shorten the wean to estrus interval but not for time ovulation for timed breeding. Recent reviews of the hormonal methods to control estrus and breeding of estrous cyclic gilts and postpartum sows continue to cite processes as identified above (Kirkwood, (1999) Swine Health Prod. 7(1):29-35; Day, et al. Control of reproduction in the female pig. 30.sup.th Annual Meeting, American Association of Swine Practitioners, Workshop #6, St. Louis, Mo. Feb. 27, 1999, pp. 23-39). The scientific literature from the early 1960s through 2003 reports the requirement for either multiple sequential hormonal treatments in estrous cycling gilts or the use of various combinations of or single use of gonadotropins for attempting to manage the time of estrus in postpartum sows. No one skilled in the art has reported on a single injection of a GnRH postpartum followed by one or two timed breedings resulting in normal fertility in the absence of estrus detection and breeding associated with the detected estrus. [0017] The ultimate goal of synchronizing estrus and/or ovulation, reducing post weaning to estrus intervals or breeding gilt as replacements is to keep the farrowing houses full and grouped for all-in-all-out production. Meanwhile, all breeding management programs utilize standard heat detection methods throughout the early detection and estrus period until breeding is complete and the gilt or sow is no longer receptive. [0018] There is a wealth of information indicating that hormonal induction of estrus post weaning with individual gonadotropins or with a combination drug such as PG600 is efficacious in producing a fertile estrus after weaning (Kirkwood, R. N. (1999) Swine Health Prod. 7(1):29-35; Sechin et al., (1999) Theriogenology 51:1175-1182). However, F. De Rensis et al. state that while injection of gonadotropins at weaning will produce an earlier fertile estrus, by inducing an earlier estrus the time between onset of estrus and ovulation increases, making prediction of ovulation even more difficult (Knox et al. (2001) J. Animal Sci. 79:796-802). Furthermore, the research has demonstrated that the success of inducing a fertile estrus is correlated with the day of lactation when treated, with the highest success correlated to treatment on day 25 post partum (Hodson et al. 1981), which is inconsistent with those commercial programs which wean 17-21 days after farrowing. In all cases, the success of these experimental protocols was coupled with daily or twice daily estrus detection through the period of receptivity and with multiple breedings. Continue reading about Process for the synchronization of ovulation for timed breeding without heat detection... Full patent description for Process for the synchronization of ovulation for timed breeding without heat detection Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Process for the synchronization of ovulation for timed breeding without heat detection patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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