Article

Anti-Mullerian hormone and antral follicle count as predictors for optimal selection of Hanwoo donor cows in superstimulated oocyte collection

Joonho Moon1, Jae Jung Ha2, Woo Sung Kwon3, Dae Hyun Kim4,*, Junkoo Yi5,6,**
Author Information & Copyright
1GenNBio Co., Ltd, Pyeongtaek 17796, Korea.
2Gyeongbuk Livestock Research Institute, Yeongju 36052, Korea.
3Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Kyungpook National University, Sangju 37224, Korea.
4Department of Animal Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea.
5School of Animal Life Convergence Science, Hankyung National University, Anseong 17579, Korea.
6Gyeonggi Regional Research Center, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Korea.
*Corresponding Author: Dae Hyun Kim, Department of Animal Science, Chonnam National University, Gwangju 61186, Korea, Republic of. E-mail: kimdhbio@jnu.ac.k.
**Corresponding Author: Junkoo Yi, School of Animal Life Convergence Science, Hankyung National University, Anseong 17579, Korea, Republic of. Gyeonggi Regional Research Center, Hankyong National University, Anseong 17579, Korea, Republic of. Phone: +82-31-670-5092. E-mail: junkoo@hknu.ac.kr.

© Copyright 2024 Korean Society of Animal Science and Technology. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

This study explored the correlation between Anti-Müllerian Hormone (AMH) levels and reproductive efficiency in native Korean cattle (Hanwoo) as potential oocyte donors in Ovum Pick-Up (OPU) programs. In an effort to enhance the efficiency of oocyte colletion, this research explored the correlation between AMH levels and various factors, including the quantity of follicles, retrieved oocytes, and the proportion of transferable embryos. A total of 42 Hanwoo cows were included in this study with AMH levels ranging from 276.5 to 2212.5 pg/mL. These cows were categorized into three groups based on AMH concentration: high (H), medium (M), and low (L), along with the control group. To monitor the quantity of antral follicles in each group during OPU, Ultrasound scanner was used, and the retrieved oocytes were duly recorded. The implantable embryos produced from the retrieved oocytes were quantified.  The results show a significant positive correlation between AMH levels and the numbers of antral follicles (R<sup>2</sup>=0.5785, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), retrieved oocytes (R<sup>2</sup>=0.6857, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001) and transferable embryos (R<sup>2</sup>=0.4049, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.0001), indicating that higher AMH levels correspond to increased numbers of antral follicles and retrieved oocytes. However, the correlation between AMH levels and the proportion of transferable embryos was not statistically significant (R<sup>2</sup> = 0.1476, <italic>p</italic> = 0.5225). In conclusion, AMH levels were significantly correlated with the number of antral follicles and retrieved oocytes, demonstrating their potential as indicators for selecting oocyte donors for Hanwoo cattle. Although the relationship with the proportion of transferable embryos was not statistically significant, this study offers valuable insights for the improvement of the efficiency of oocyte donation plans in Hanwoo cattle by considering the AMH levels.

Keywords: Anti-Müllerian Hormone; Antral follicles count; Ovum Pick-Up; Hanwoo donor; in vitro embryo production