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Kisspeptin Synchronizes Preovulatory Surges in Cyclical Ewes and Causes Ovulation in Seasonally Acyclic Ewes

Unité Mixte de Recherche 6175 (A.C., D.L., S.B.S., J.C., G.B., C.B.), Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Tours/Haras Nationaux), 37380 Nouzilly, France; and Department Physiology (J.T.S., A.M., B.D., I.J.C.), Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. A. Caraty, Unité Mixte de Recherche 6175, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements (Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Université Tours/Haras Nationaux), 37380 Nouzilly, France. E-mail: caraty{at}tours.inra.fr.

We determined whether kisspeptin could be used to manipulate the gonadotropin axis and ovulation in sheep. First, a series of experiments was performed to determine the gonadotropic responses to different modes and doses of kisspeptin administration during the anestrous season using estradiol-treated ovariectomized ewes. We found that: 1) injections (iv) of doses as low as 6 nmol human C-terminal Kiss1 decapeptide elevate plasma LH and FSH levels, 2) murine C-terminal Kiss1 decapeptide was equipotent to human C-terminal Kiss1 decapeptide in terms of the release of LH or FSH, and 3) constant iv infusion of kisspeptin induced a sustained release of LH and FSH over a number of hours. During the breeding season and in progesterone-synchronized cyclical ewes, constant iv infusion of murine C-terminal Kiss1 decapeptide-10 (0.48 µmol/h over 8 h) was administered 30 h after withdrawal of a progesterone priming period, and surge responses in LH occurred within 2 h. Thus, the treatment synchronized preovulatory LH surges, whereas the surges in vehicle-infused controls were later and more widely dispersed. During the anestrous season, we conducted experiments to determine whether kisspeptin treatment could cause ovulation. Infusion (iv) of 12.4 nmol/h kisspeptin for either 30 or 48 h caused ovulation in more than 80% of kisspeptin-treated animals, whereas less than 20% of control animals ovulated. Our results indicate that systemic delivery of kisspeptin provides new strategies for the manipulation of the gonadotropin secretion and can cause ovulation in noncyclical females.

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