Association between anti-Müllerian hormone levels and reproductive parameters in Wagyu cattle raised in Brazil

• Published in: Zygote (Cambridge) Vol. 31; no. 4; p. 366
• Main Authors: de Marchi, Flávia, Lazzaretti, Renan, de Camargo, Janine, Facioli, Fernanda Luiza, Zanella, Eraldo Lourenso, Nacib Jorge-Neto, Pedro, Groke Marques, Mariana, Caires, Kyle Cody, Zanella, Ricardo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England 01-08-2023
• Subjects: Animals; Anti-Mullerian Hormone; Brazil; Cattle; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Male; Oocytes - physiology; Reproduction; Brazil; In vitro fertilization; Inbreeding; Reproduction; AMH; Oocyte
• ISSN: 1469-8730
• DOI: 10.1017/S0967199423000229

The production of
embryos has sped up the dissemination of superior genetic material. However, the variation among the cattle response to oocyte and embryo production is a challenging factor. This variation is even higher in the Wagyu cattle as the breed has a small effective population size. The identification of an effective marker related to reproductive efficiency would allow the selection of more responsive females to reproductive protocols. The objective of this study was to evaluate the blood levels of anti-Müllerian hormone and associate it with oocyte recovery and blastocyst rate of embryos produced
in Wagyu cows, as well as observe the hormone circulating levels in males. Serum samples from 29 females with seven follicular aspirations and four bulls were used. AMH measurements were performed using the bovine AMH ELISA kit. A positive correlation was identified between oocyte production and blastocyst rate (
= 0.84,
= 9 × 10
), and AMH levels with oocyte (
= 0.49,
= 0.006) and embryo (
= 0.39,
= 0.03) production. The mean levels of AMH were different between animals with low (11.06 ± 3.01) and high (20.75 ± 4.46) oocyte production (
= 0.01). Males showed high serological levels of AMH (3829 ± 2328 pg/ml) compared with other breeds. It is possible to use the serological measurement of AMH as a method to select Wagyu females with greater capacity for oocyte and embryo production. Further studies correlating AMH serological levels with Sertoli cell function in bulls are needed.