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In January 2012 final version of Operational Programme for the establishment of the domestic animals gene bank in the Republic of Croatia was done. It was provided by the National Programme for the protection of autochthonous – native and protected breeds of domestic animals in the Republic of Croatia which was adopted earlier, at the beginning of 2010 year. The Operational Programme for the development of the Gene Bank is a well-designed, systematic, coherent and focused set of procedures and measures aimed at collecting, processing and storing tissue specimens of genetic material of interesting specimens with the function of their preservation.

A crossbreed bitch, one year old, was brought to the Obstetrics and Reproduction Clinic at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zagreb for elective castration. From the history, the bitch had last been on heat three months before and did not mate. Clinical examination was performed before surgery, the health status and condition of the animal were good and at the owner’s request no preoperative diagnostic methods were performed. Laparoscopic ovariohisterectomy of the enlarged uterus was performed under general inhalated anesthesia. The pathohistological fifi nding was segmental endometrial hyperplasia of the uterus. According to this case report laparoscopic ovariohysterectomy is safe and effective in bitches with small to moderate enlargement of the uterus.

This article examined two different superovulation protocols for goats. The high variability of superovulatory response is a major limiting factor in goat embryo transfer programs. This variability is due to extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Two protocols were compared: standard and „Day 0“ protocol of superovulation on 30 goats of Boer breed in each group during the breeding season. The purpose of „Day 0“ protocol is to minimize the ovarian status influence on superovulation response by starting the administration of gonadotrophins after ovulation, concurrently with the first follicular wave, without presence of dominant follicles (ø>6mm). The animals in standard protocol group were synchronised by 11 days progestagen sponges and superovulated with 6 decreasing doses of pFSH, during 3 days before the pessary was withdrawn. The oestrous in Day 0 protocol was synchronized by vaginal pessaries (11d) and eCG (9.d), with GnRH induction of ovulation (13.d). The superovulation was performed 24h after ovulation has been confirmed (14.d) by 6 decreasing dosis of pFSH (15.-17.d). Concurrently with the 3rd day pFSH, the prostaglandin was applied in order to obtain luteolysis of corpus luteum (CL) created during oestrous synchronization. The ultrasonic exam of ovaries in both groups of animals was performed in order to follow up the status of ovaries before and during the superovulation procedures until ovulation. The females in standard protocol were mated 24h after vaginal pessary has been withdrawn. In „Day 0“ protocol goats were mated 24h after luteolysis have been induced. Seven days after being mated, the uterus in both groups was flushed. It was established that “Day 0” protocol significantly diminished number of animals with dominant follicle before the superovulation procedure started, but however didn't improve the superovulatory success (the number of CLs and transferable embryos were significantly lower). However, similar percentage of 1st class embryos was noticed in both protocols. The “Day 0” protocol didn’t improve superovulatory success partly because only 54 % of goats in the standard protocol group had dominant follicle, which has negative influence on the number of transferable embryos, especially those of 1st class. The other reason for the lower superovulatory response in „Day 0“ protocol is smaller number of follicles with ø3.5-5 mm at the onset of superovulation treatment which positively correlate with the number of the transferable embryos.

The aim of this research was to establish the importance and accuracy of the ultrasonic examination of donor and recipient goats submitted to superovulation procedures. For this reason, 17 donor goats were systematically examined by ultrasound: 1) to count the preovulatory follicles (≥ 5mm) at oestrus onset ; 2) to confirm the ovulation(s) and 3) the accuracy of the ultrasound examination was measured comparing previously findings with number of corpora lutea (CL) present when uterine flushing was performed. On the other hand, 14 recipient goat ovaries were monitored by ultrasound to assess: 1) the number of dominant follicles (≥ 5mm) present during oestrus ; 2) the ovulation and 3) the echogenic quality of CL before embryotransfer. To perform the ultrasound examination the animals were placed in dorsal recumbence and 7, 5MHz ultrasound probe was applied rectally. To predict the ovulation rate the number of large follicles (≥ 5mm) was counted by ultrasound on donor goat ovaries at the beginning of oestrus. Unovulated follicles (48h after oestrus start) were omitted. The ultrasound accuracy, measured comparing the number of ovulated follicles with number of corpora lutea counted when laparotomic flushing was performed, was 47, 5%. The ovulatory rate prediction is more accurately (72.1%) when donor goat responded with lower total number of follicles (10 or less). The response of 9 out of 14 (64%) recipient goats, after standard hormonal protocol was applied, were adequate, what means maximum 2 dominant follicles, timely occurred ovulation and good echogenic quality of respective CL. The ultrasonic examination of donor and recipient goats is appreciable tool to follow up follicular dynamics, success of superovulation procedures, confirmation of ovulation and echogenic CL quality, as well as to predict the ovulatory rate. In this way the ultrasound examinations of the ovaries could save the time and the money due to elimination of animals who did not respond to the treatment before the collection or transfer of embryos start.

Ultrazvučni pregled jajnika omogućuje vizualizaciju i mjerenje jajničkih struktura (folikuli, žuta tijela). U zemljama razvijenog kozarstva rutinski se koristi transabdominalni ultrazvučni pregled (5 MHz), dok je transrektalni ultrazvučni pregled (7, 5 MHz) koza ograničen samo na znanstvena istraživanja. Detaljni ultrazvučni prikaz preovulatornih i ovulatornih folikula u koza je napravljen u novije vrijeme. Ultrazvukom se može pratiti rast folikula već od veličine 2 mm (mali antralni folikuli) koji se vizualiziraju u vidu anehogenih okruglih struktura tanke stijenke. U vrijeme ovulacije promjera su 6 do 8 mm. Ovulacija se potvrđuje ako na mjestu folikula nema više prisutne antralne šupljine, već je prisutna samo povećana heterogena ehogenost (žuto tijelo). Jedno istraživanje je utvrdilo da je broj ultrazvučno utvrđenih folikula ≥ 5 mm u vrijeme estrusa u korelaciji s brojem žutih tijela utvrđenih prilikom laparoskopije. Takav odnos bi mogao biti koristan za predviđanje uspjeha ovulacije u superovulacijskim protokolima. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je ustanoviti ultrazvučnu preciznost u predviđanju stope ovulacije superovuliranih koza. U tu svrhu korišteno je 17 koza burske pasmine podvrgnutih standardnom superovulacijskom protokolu. Kozama su ultrazvučno pregledavani jajnici u vrijeme estrusa kako bi se izbrojali preovulatorni folikuli te nakon ovulacije (48 h kasnije) kako bi se izbrojali neovulirani folikuli. Preciznost ultrazvučnih pregleda je određena tako da se broj žutih tijela usporedio s brojem preovulatornih folikula kojima je oduzet broj neovuliranih folikula. Pri tome je utvrđeno relativno odstupanje ultrazvučnog predviđanja stope ovulacije od 38.37 %. Zbog manjeg broja životinja korištenih u pokusu odnos žutih tijela i preovulatornih folikula nije signifikantan, unatoč prisutnoj tendenciji koju bi trebalo provjeriti na većem broju životinja ili ultrazvučnih pregleda s više različitih ordinarijusa. Dobiveni rezultati se podudaraju s ranijim istraživanjima koja su pokazala da ultrazvučni pregled jajnika superovuliranih koza omogućuje utvrđivanje samo približnog broja folikula. Najveći razlog za nemogućnost određivanja točnog broja folikula je superpozicija folikula odnosno prikrivanje jednog folikula s drugim ako ih je veći broj. U prilog tome govore i bolji rezultati ako su brojani jajnici s manje od 10 folikula. Ultrazvučni pregledi jajnika superovuliranih koza daju korisne informacije o folikularnoj dinamici, potvrdi i postotku ovulacije te samom uspjehu superovulacije, a ujedno štedi vrijeme jer se iz protokola mogu izbaciti životinje u kojih se na jajnicima pojave ciste ili pak ne dođe do ovulacije.

The aim of this research was to establish the importance and accuracy of the ultrasonic examination of donor goats submitted to superovulation procedures. For this reason 9 goats were systematically examined by ultrasound: 1) to monitor development of the follicles on the ovaries after hormonal treatement started ; 2) to confirm the ovulation(s) and 3) to assess the quality of the corpus/ora luteum/ea (CL) on the respective ovaries. To perform the ultrasonic examination the animals were placed in dorsal recumbency and 7, 5MHz ultrasound probe was placed into the rectum. The accuracy of the ultrasound exams was measured by comparing the number of follicles counted on ovaries with number of corpora lutea presented after laparatomy was done to accomplish the lavage of uterus and collection of the 7 days old embryos. The absence of follicle(s) on ovaries after ovulation was expected and does mated was considered as a sign of occured ovulation. The rate of follicles found on the ovaries by ultrasound / number of corpora lutea counted when the uterus was rinsed was 57, 86%. If there were less then 10 follicles per ovary the results were even better. The ultrasonic exams of donor goats is appreciable tool by which follicular dynamics can be followed and the success of superovulation procedure predicted and measured.

The present study examined the effect of cysteamine during in vitro maturation (IVM) of bovine oocytes on blastocyst development and embryo quality. After maturation in control (0µ M) or cysteamine supplemented medium (100µ M) oocytes were fertilized and cultured for 9 days. The endpoints for evaluation were: Day 2 cleavage rate ; Day 7 blastocyst rate ; Day 9 hatching rate, total cell number and differentiation of the embryonic cells into inner cell mass cells (ICM) and trophectoderm cells (TE) in Day 9 embryos. No beneficial effect regarding to maturation or cleavage rate was related to the addition of cysteamine. However, the addition of cysteamine resulted in significantly higher percentage of morulas and blastocysts on Day 7 (p