Two male Asian elephants (bulls 1 and 2) in musth were subcutaneously injected with a long-acting gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist, degarelix acetate (240 μg/kg; total dose of 960 mg). Musth behavior (MB) and temporal gland secretions (TGS) were monitored and serum testosterone concentrations were determined. In bull 1, MB and TGS ceased on day 1 and reappeared 5.5 mo after the treatment (day 0). During the subsequent musth cycle, MB and TGS ceased on day 1 and did not appear for 4 mo. In bull 2, MB and TGS ceased at day 7 after the treatment. Musth behavior and TGS recurred on Day 11 and continued for 1 wk, then disappeared for 8 mo. Serum testosterone concentrations decreased (P < 0.05) in all occasions from day 0 (29.8 ± 15.8 ng/ml; mean ± SEM) to day 1 (2.2 ± 1.1 ng/ml), suggesting a sudden drop in circulating testosterone in musth elephants after the GnRH-antagonist treatment.
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1 September 2018
EFFECTS OF GONADOTROPIN-RELEASING HORMONE ANTAGONIST DEGARELIX ON MUSTH AND SERUM TESTOSTERONE CONCENTRATIONS IN ASIAN ELEPHANTS (ELEPHAS MAXIMUS)
Indunil N. Pathirana,
Chandana Rajapaksa,
Noritoshi Kawate,
Anuradha Wimalarathne,
Lakshitha Fonseka,
Priyangika Nilmini Weerakoon,
Minhaj A. Hannan,
Basil Alexander,
Anil Pushpakumara,
Siril Ariyaratne,
Hiromichi Tamada
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Asian elephants
degarelix
Elephas maximus
gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist
musth
testosterone