Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden

The uncontrolled reproduction of free-roaming domestic cats exacerbates their welfare challenges and the ecological pressure they exert on wildlife populations. Because of logistic and economic constraints, surgical sterilization alone cannot scale to control the reproduction of the hundreds of millions of intact cats worldwide. Herein, we report that the single administration of an adeno-associated viral vector delivering an anti-Müllerian hormone transgene to prepubertal cats can fully prevent pregnancy once females reach adulthood. Treated kittens were closely monitored for up to 21 months to assess long-term health, transgene expression, reproductive hormones, and reproductive function. The intramuscular injection was well tolerated and did not impact physical growth. The sustained expression of anti-Müllerian hormone did not impact spermatogenesis in males. However, it induced sterility in mated females by preventing breeding-induced ovulation and increases in progesterone associated with luteal phases, resulting in safe and potentially lifetime sterilization in the female domestic cat.

This case report documents the use of oral altrenogest (Regu-Mate®) to support pregnancy maintenance in a red panda ( Ailurus fulgens styani ) with a history of gestational loss. Red pandas exhibit embryonic diapause with variable gestation lengths, complicating pregnancy monitoring and intervention. The subject, a 10 y multiparous female, experienced a pregnancy loss associated with low fecal progesterone metabolite concentrations. A comprehensive reproductive examination including endometrial biopsy was performed to rule out pathology, and the female paired again for breeding the subsequent breeding season. Following pregnancy confirmation via ultrasonography, a daily oral regimen of altrenogest (0.088 mg/kg) was initiated and continued until one week before predicted parturition, based on ultrasonographic monitoring. The pregnancy progressed to term and the female exhibited behaviors consistent with impending parturition; however, she experienced a dystocia, and the deceased cub was manually extracted. The male cub was slightly heavier than reported stillbirth weights, but necropsy revealed no congenital abnormalities. This is the first documented use of exogenous progestin supplementation in a species with obligate embryonic diapause and variable gestation length. Although the outcome was not as hoped, this case underscores both the potential utility and the inherent risks of exogenous progestogen therapy in species with delayed implantation.

Assess markers for pancreatic function and gastrointestinal malabsorption in African painted dogs (Lycaon pictus), including canine trypsin-like immunoreactivity (cTLI), canine pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI), cobalamin, and folate at one North American facility. 15 healthy African painted dogs held at one institution were sampled during routine health examinations. Blood was collected at routine health examinations, and serum was separated and stored until testing. Serum was analyzed for cTLI, cPLI, cobalamin, and folate. The results were evaluated for correlation to sex, age, and storage time of samples. All individuals had cTLI and folate levels below normal reference ranges for domestic dogs (< 5.0 µg/L and < 7.7 µg/L, respectively). Cobalamin values were within or above reported domestic dog ranges, and cPLI values were within range as well. No analytes were significantly influenced by sex or time in storage, while cTLI was positively correlated with age. cTLI and folate did not fall within normal domestic canid reference ranges in this population of healthy African painted dogs. Clinical interpretation of these values based on domestic canid recommendations would indicate clinical disease, which was not apparent in this population. Analytes for pancreatic function and malabsorption or gastrointestinal indicators, including cTLI, cPLI, and folate, in African painted dogs should be interpreted with caution when using domestic dog references ranges.

Reproduction, Fertility and Development is an international journal publishing original research , review and comment in the fields of reproduction and developmental biology in humans, domestic animals and wildlife

Coral reefs are one of the most biodiverse and productive ecosystems on Earth, and color has been shown to indicate coral health in Australian and Hawaiian reef systems. However, no standardized method exists to quantify coral health for Caribbean corals. Therefore, a health assessment card using coral color was developed for five species of Caribbean corals to monitor coral health non-invasively. To quantify coral health, individual corals of each species were photographed in a controlled environment to develop color profiles. Simultaneously, nondestructive measurements of “health” were quantified by measuring photosynthetic efficiency (Fv/Fm) using pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) fluorometry, which determines how efficiently the symbiotic algae provides energy to the coral host. The results of this work successfully corresponded photosynthetic efficiency to coral color for five dominant species of Caribbean corals to develop a Coral Health Assessment Card for Caribbean reefs. Implementing a standardized assessment of symbiont performance can assist in monitoring changes in coral health, which can consequently be implemented into long-term and widespread monitoring projects to track overall Caribbean reef health. KEYWORDS: Photosynthetic Efficiency, Symbiodinium spp., Coral Bleaching, Pulse-amplitude Modulated Fluorometry, Health Assessment

Non-invasive techniques utilizing fecal samples to measure circulating steroid hormones have proven to effectively reflect the reproductive status of numerous species. Fecal progesterone metabolite (FPM) profiles have enhanced our understanding of the complicated reproductive strategies of many endangered species; however, this tool has been proven to not be optimal for pregnancy detection in the red panda (Ailurus fulgens). This study set out to investigate potential differences in FPM profiles (phases and lengths of hormone elevation) of seven female red pandas, both parturient and non-parturient, confirming FPM analysis is not a valuable indicator of pregnancy in this species. Secondly, examined whether a pregnancy related hormone, prostaglandin F2α and its metabolites (PGFM), can provide a reliable tool for confirming pregnancy in this species. Similarly, PGFM did not differentiate between parturient and non-parturient females until a significant peak the day of parturition (± 2 days). Interestingly, this is the first study to capture the PGFM surge associated with parturition, which may provide a tool for determining pregnancy in cases where live cubs were not observed.