Physiological effects on rabbit sperm and reproductive response to recombinant rabbit beta nerve growth factor administered by intravaginal route in rabbit does

Abstract Beta nerve growth factor (β-NGF) is present in the seminal plasma of some species, including rabbits, acting as an ovulation-inducing factor in camelids. Traditionally, GnRH analogues are used to induce ovulation by intramuscular route when artificial insemination (AI) is performed in rabbit does. A specific rabbit recombinant β-NGF (rrβ-NGF) produced in our laboratory was tested as an alternative method to conventional treatment with GnRH analogues to induce ovulation. In the present work, different concentrations (0, 20, 100 ng/ml and 1, 20 and 100 μg/ml) of rrβ-NGF were added to diluted semen to assess its effect on sperm traits (viability and motility parameters). rrβ-NG was used also, incorporated to the AI dose, to evaluate ovulation response (LH and progesterone plasma concentrations, ovulation rate (OR) and embryo implantation at Day 7) after intravaginal administration. A negative control group stimulated with an empty catheter, and a positive control group inseminated and intramuscularly treated as usual with GnRH were also set up. Results showed that seminal quality was influenced by rrβ-NGF depending on the concentration added, being the highest concentrations tested deleterious for semen. Whereas the highest OR was found in the positive control group (100%), concentrations of 20 ng/ml, 1 μg/ml and 20 μg/ml of rrβ-NGF triggered intermediate OR (30, 60 and 42.9%, respectively), and 100 ng/ml and 100 μg/ml had the lowest OR (20 and 14.3%, respectively). Although LH peak was not observed in the first 2 h after AI in the ovulated females from rrβ-NGF groups, plasma progesterone significantly increased at Day 7, except in those treated with 20 and 100 μg/ml. Also, 98.4% of ovulated females were pregnant on Day 7. In conclusion, rrβ-NGF added to diluted semen affects seminal quality and provokes ovulation, the development of functional CL and conception by intravaginal route in rabbit does, depending on the concentration added.