ArticleAntioxidants (Basel, Switzerland)2025
Melatonin Implantation Improves the Reproductive Performance of Estrus-Synchronized Ewes During Seasonal Anestrus and Enhances the Antioxidant and Steroidogenic Capacities of Granulosa and Luteal Cells.
Article in Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Effect of Melatonin Supplementation on Reproductive Performance, Hormonal Profile and Antioxidant Status in Sheep Under Subtropical Conditions.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Dietary supplementation with Cuscuta chinensis improves ovarian function and production performance in aged laying hens via modulation of steroid hormone biosynthesis and gut microbiota.Poultry science · 2026Article
- Non-chemical, chemical, and biochemical, endocrine disruptors: biphasic health effects and pathophysiological insights.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2026Review
- Melatonin in the Treatment of Female Infertility: Update on Biological and Clinical Findings.Biomedicines · 2025Article
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9 authors.
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Abstract
Seasonal reproduction in sheep reduces reproductive efficiency. Melatonin (MT) plays a crucial role in reproductive processes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of a 5-day MT implant pretreatment on estrus synchronization and reproductive performance in sheep during seasonal anestrus. A total of 40 multiparous Mongolian sheep were selected and randomly divided into two groups. In the MT group (n = 20), the ewes received an MT implant for 5 days, and then, they were given a progesterone (P4)-containing vaginal sponge for 14 days with equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) administered (330 I.U. per ewe; I.M.) at sponge removal. Control (CON) ewes (n = 20) were similarly treated but did not receive MT implants. The results demonstrated that MT implantation significantly improved serum levels of total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), increased post-ovulatory luteal diameter and serum P4 levels, and reduced ovarian apoptosis. Compared with the CON group, the MT group showed significantly higher pregnancy (68.23% vs. 50.59%) and lambing rates (63.53% vs. 47.06%; number of lambed ewes/number of total ewes) following cervical-timed artificial insemination. Ovarian transcriptome analysis revealed 522 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in the MT group compared with the CON group, including 355 upregulated and 167 downregulated DEGs. In addition, MT significantly enhanced proliferation and inhibited apoptosis in cultured granulosa cells (GCs) and luteal cells (LCs) in vitro. Moreover, it enhanced the antioxidant capacity of GCs and LCs probably by activating the NRF2 signaling pathway as well as stimulating steroid hormone synthesis. In conclusion, MT implantation 5 days before applying the conventional P4-eCG protocol enhances ovine reproductive outcomes during seasonal anestrus. MT implantation has a beneficial role on the growth and function of ovarian cells. These findings offer novel evidence supporting the functional role of MT in mammalian reproduction, and would be informative for optimizing estrus synchronization in sheep.
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