ULTRASONOGRAPHIC MONITORING OF EARLY PREGNANCY DEVELOPMENT IN MURRAH BUFFALO HEIFERS (BUBALUS BUBALIS)

• Autor(a) principal: Ferreira, J. C. P. [UNESP]
• Data de Publicação: 2012
• Outros Autores: Martin, Ian [UNESP], Irikura, C. R. [UNESP], Gimenes, L. U. [UNESP], Fujiraha, C. J. [UNESP], Jorge, A. M. [UNESP], Oba, E. [UNESP]
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Institucional da UNESP
• Texto Completo: http://hdl.handle.net/11449/195808

The aim of the current study was to monitor the early pregnancy development in buffalo and establish biometric threshold of different gestational vesicle and embryo/fetal parts from the day of diagnostic to the 70th day of pregnancy. Serial daily sonographic examinations were carried out on eleven pregnant buffalo-heifers, during which the gestational vesicle diameter, amniotic vesicle diameter, crown-rump length, trunk diameter and biparietal diameter were measured. Embryo/fetal sex characteristics were also determined during sonographic examination. The gestational vesicle, embryo and its heartbeats were assessed, respectively, by gestational days (gd) 20.55 +/- 2.34; 25.18 +/- 1.91 and 25.27 +/- 3.58 of pregnancy. The liquid column in non pregnant horn and amniotic vesicle were detected, respectively, by days 31.0 +/- 3.83 and 31.64 +/- 2.34 of pregnancy. Subsequently were sequentially detected the neural tube (gd 33.0 +/- 3.51), umbilical chord (gd 40.25 +/- 2.76), early limbs, (gd 41.67 +/- 4.85), embryos proper movement (gd 46.25 +/- 2.36), vertebral column (gd 47.33 +/- 4.9), body organization (gd 47.48 +/- 5.61), genital tubercle (gd 44.5 +/- 2.39), fetal bones (gd 56.56 +/- 1.16), brain (gd 57.5 +/- 1.2), urinary bladder (gd 57.88 +/- 3.08), stomach cavities (gd 59.17 +/- 4.36), brain ventricles (gd 61.09 +/- 2.34), end of migration of genital tubercle in males (gd 58.4 +/- 2.2) and in females (gd 60.4 +/- 4.2), skull acoustic shadow (gd 59.66 +/- 3.13), vertebra acoustic shadow (gd 62.14 +/- 3.13), ribs acoustic shadow (gd 64 +/- 2.65) and limb bones acoustic shadow (gd 65 +/- 1.58) and liver (gd 66.63 +/- 3.54). High regression and correlation coefficients were found between different studied parameters and gestational age, where the highest correlation was found with the biparietal diameter and crown-rump length. In conclusion, the overall data indicated the feasibility and value of ultrasonographic embryo, fetal and vesicle characteristics and embryo/fetometry in buffaloes for the evaluation of fetal development and estimation of gestational age during the first 70th pregnancy days.