Determination of the Effect of Different Doses of ECG Applications on Reproductive Parameters in Primiparous Akkaraman Kangal Sheep

To increase meat production at a level parallel to meet the demand of the increasing world population in recent years, reproductive management in farm animals must be successful. In order to reach the desired level of fertility in sheep, particularly starting with the non-prolific breeds, anoestrus period applications should be carried out effectively. In this study, different doses of equine chorionic gonadotropin were applied to determine the effective eCG dose for underwent estrus synchronization with progesterone in anoestrus Kangal ewes whose milk and wool yield has been completely abandoned by the breeder for various reasons and whose only economic benefit is lamb production. A total of 225 Kangal Akkaraman Sheep breeds, 2 years old, with a body condition score of 2.5-3.5 and an average weight of 40-50 kg, were included in the study. In line with this purpose, ewes were divided into 3 groups, containing 75 primiparous sheep. A vaginal sponge containing progesterone was inserted into the animals in all groups on day 0. Seven days after this application (on the 7th day), vaginal sponges were removed and Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) was applied. When the vaginal sponge was removed and the PGF2α was administered, 400 IU of eCG was given to animals in Group 1 (n:75), 500 IU of eCG was administrated to animals in Group 2 (n:75), and 600 IU of eCG was injected to the ewes in Group 3. The effectiveness of different doses of eCG application on reproductive parameters such as estrous rate, pregnancy rate, multiple pregnancy rate, and the number of offspring was evaluated. While no statistical difference could be determined between the groups in terms of the stated reproductive parameters, numerically more offspring were obtained in the group in which eCG was applied at a low rate (Group 1). In the light of this information, it is concluded that 400 IU eCG can be as effective as 600 IU eCG in sexual stimulation of Kangal ewes in anestrus

Efficacy of subsequent treatments in patients with hormone-positive advanced breast cancer who had disease progression under CDK 4/6 inhibitor therapy.

Background There is no standard treatment recommended at category 1 level in international guidelines for subsequent therapy after cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6) based therapy. We aimed to evaluate which subsequent treatment oncologists prefer in patients with disease progression under CDKi. In addition, we aimed to show the effectiveness of systemic treatments after CDKi and whether there is a survival difference between hormonal treatments (monotherapy vs. mTOR-based). Methods A total of 609 patients from 53 centers were included in the study. Progression-free-survivals (PFS) of subsequent treatments (chemotherapy (CT, n:434) or endocrine therapy (ET, n:175)) after CDKi were calculated. Patients were evaluated in three groups as those who received CDKi in first-line (group A, n:202), second-line (group B, n: 153) and >= 3rd-line (group C, n: 254). PFS was compared according to the use of ET and CT. In addition, ET was compared as monotherapy versus everolimus-based combination therapy. Results The median duration of CDKi in the ET arms of Group A, B, and C was 17.0, 11.0, and 8.5 months in respectively; it was 9.0, 7.0, and 5.0 months in the CT arm. Median PFS after CDKi was 9.5 (5.0-14.0) months in the ET arm of group A, and 5.3 (3.9-6.8) months in the CT arm (p = 0.073). It was 6.7 (5.8-7.7) months in the ET arm of group B, and 5.7 (4.6-6.7) months in the CT arm (p = 0.311). It was 5.3 (2.5-8.0) months in the ET arm of group C and 4.0 (3.5-4.6) months in the CT arm (p = 0.434). Patients who received ET after CDKi were compared as those who received everolimus-based combination therapy versus those who received monotherapy ET: the median PFS in group A, B, and C was 11.0 vs. 5.9 (p = 0.047), 6.7 vs. 5.0 (p = 0.164), 6.7 vs. 3.9 (p = 0.763) months. Conclusion Physicians preferred CT rather than ET in patients with early progression under CDKi. It has been shown that subsequent ET after CDKi can be as effective as CT. It was also observed that better PFS could be achieved with the subsequent everolimus-based treatments after first-line CDKi compared to monotherapy ET