Main description:

This pUblication contains the proceedings of a Seminar held in Galway, Ireland on September 27 - 30, 1977 under the asupices of the Commission of the European Communities, as part of the EEC programme of co-ordination of research on beef production. The programme was drawn up by a scientific working group on PHYSIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION on behalf of the beef production committee. The working group comprised: Or. J.M. Sreenan (Chairman), Ireland; Mr. L.E.A. Rowson, United Kingdom; Professor C. Thibault, France; Or. B. Hoffman, Germany (Fed. Rep.); Professor L. Henriet, Belgium; Or. F. du Mesnil du Buisson, France; Or. J. Riemensberger, Germany (Fed. Rep.); Dr. P. Mauleon, France; and, in the planning of the seminar, they were joined by Mr. P. L'Hermite, CEC and Or. J.C. Tayler (temporarily seconded to the CEC, 1975). The subject chosen for this seminar was drawn from the list of prior- ities in research objectives drawn up in 1973 by members of a committee (now the Standing Committee on Agricultural Research, CPRA) given in Appendix 1.
One of the functions of this series of seminars was to summarise and update the information available on the selected subjects and to discuss future needs for research, so as to assist the Commission in evaluating the probable im- pact of research on agricultural production within the community.

Contents:

Session 1: Follicular Growth and Ovulation.- Session 1a: Normal physiological processes.- Some observations on the development and function of ovarian follicles.- Oogenesis and follicular growth in the cow: implications for superovulation.- Session 1b: Nature of PMSG.- The biology of pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG).- Relationship of PMSG to the pituitary gonadotrophins.- The production and standardisation of PMSG.- Discussion.- Session 1c: Superovulation studies.- Some studies on pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and on endocrine responses after application for superovulation in cattle.- Ovarian responses in relation to endocrine status following PMSG stimulation in the cow.- Superovulation of cattle with PMSG and FSH.- Relationships between ovarian stimulation by PMSG and steroid secretion.- Factors affecting the variability of ovulation rates after PMSG stimulation.- Preliminary studies on the HCG binding properties of bovine granulosa cells.- Discussion.- Session 2: Ovum Recovery and Transfer.- Methods of ovum recovery and factors affecting fertilisation of superovu-lated bovine ova.- Recovery and transfer of embryos by non-surgical procedures in lactating dairy cattle.- The non-surgical recovery and transfer of bovine embryos.- Non-surgical recovery of bovine embryos under farm conditions.- Discussion.- Cervical embryo transfer at different stages in cattle.- Cattle twinning by non-surgical egg transfer.- Survival of cultured and transported bovine embryos following surgical and non-surgical transfers.- Practical application of non-surgical collection of bovine embryos in Danish pedigree cattle.- Discussion.- Session 3: Manipulation of Ova In Vitro.- Culture of mammalian ova.- Attempts to predict the viability of cattle embryos produced by superovulation.- In vitro exchange between the follicle and its culture medium.- In vitro storage of cattle embryos.- Deep freezing of bovine embryos - A field trial.- Embryo sexing with particular reference to cattle.- Manipulation of eggs in vitro - Attempt at long-term storage of oocytes at low temperatures without freezing.- Discussion.- Session 4: Oestrous Cycle Control and Fertility.- Management factors in oestrous cycle control.- Oestrous cycle control and fertility in beef cattle following short-term progestagen treatments.- Factors involved in oestrous cycle control in the bovine.- Modifying factors of fertility after different oestrous control treatments in beef cattle.- Improvement of the oestrous control in adult dairy cows.- Fertility control in cattle by determining progesterone in milk and milk-fat.- Use of progesterone concentrations in peripheral plasma or milk in cattle herd management.- Oestrous cycle control by means of prostaglandins and the progesterone levels in milk in dairy cattle.- Discussion.- Session 5: Discussion on Conference and Consideration of Future Research Requirements.- Discussion.- List of participants.