Ovarian suppression in a marsupial following single treatment with a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist in microspheres.

The effect of treatment with Lucrin Depot (1 month), a microsphere gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist preparation, was investigated in the fat-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis crassicaudata) as a potential strategy to synchronise cycling. The status of the ovaries (ovarian size, number and size of Graafian follicles and corpora lutea) and reproductive tract (weight, vascularity and muscularity) in twelve untreated females were assessed to establish the activity parameters for randomly selected cycling animals. Thirty-six females were treated with 1mgkg (n=12), 10mgkg (n=12) or 20mgkg (n=12) Lucrin Depot.