Evaluation of a Proprietary Slow-Release Oxytocin Formulation on Corpus Luteum Function in Mares.

Summary

# Editorial Summary Suppressing oestrus in mares through prolonged corpus luteum function is increasingly managed with oxytocin therapy, though the standard protocol requires eight daily intramuscular injections (days 7–14 post-ovulation), which presents practical challenges for working professionals. Researchers compared this conventional daily-injection approach against a novel slow-release oxytocin formulation requiring only two treatments: one injection on day 7 and a second on day 10 post-ovulation, administering 2,400 IU per injection across 16 mares (eight treated, eight controls), with serum progesterone monitored tri-weekly over 50 days. The slow-release formulation achieved prolonged CL function (progesterone >1.0 ng/mL for ≥30 consecutive days) in 75% of treated mares compared to 0% in controls (P <0.01), matching the efficacy rates of daily-injection protocols whilst reducing treatment burden by 75%. For farriers, veterinarians, and yard managers managing competition schedules or breeding programmes, this two-injection protocol offers a more efficient alternative that maintains efficacy whilst significantly improving compliance and reducing labour demands on equestrian operations.

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Key Findings

• •A two-injection slow-release oxytocin formulation (2,400 IU on days 7 and 10 post-ovulation) prolonged corpus luteum function in 75% of treated mares versus 0% in controls (P < 0.01)
• •The SR-OT protocol maintained progesterone concentration >1.0 ng/mL for at least 30 consecutive days in 6/8 treated mares
• •Two SR-OT injections achieved equivalent efficacy to the standard eight daily oxytocin treatments while reducing administration frequency by 75%

Conditions Studied

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