Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentration Measured Before Gonadotropin Stimulation is Associated with Quality of Subsequent Ovarian Response in the Cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) and Domestic Cat (Felis catus)

Abstract Relationships between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations and subsequent ovarian stimulation outcomes have been demonstrated in several mammalian species, but comprehensive reports are lacking in felids. The objective of this study was to characterize relationships between AMH concentrations and responses to exogenous gonadotropin stimulation in cheetahs and domestic cats. Blood samples collected before stimulation were used to measure serum AMH concentrations, which were compared to post-stimulation outcomes, including counts of retrievable oocytes or ovulation sites, oocyte quality, embryonic cleavage after in vitro fertilization, and progestogen concentrations. Comparisons were also made between AMH concentrations and outcomes in domestic cats induced to ovulate by mechanical stimulation of the vagina and cervix (simulated coitus). Greater AMH concentrations were associated with greater ovulatory response, progestogen production, and embryonic cleavage success among gonadotropin-treated cheetahs, and with greater ovulatory response among gonadotropin-treated domestic cats. Associations were moderated by age, with AMH concentration generally a greater determinant of these outcomes in older animals. Using only AMH concentrations, domestic cats with high and low ovulatory responses to exogenous hormones could be distinguished. However, this marker was unrelated to ovulatory response in domestic cats after simulated coitus. These results demonstrate the potential for AMH concentrations to predict responses of cheetahs and domestic cats to ovarian stimulation treatment commonly used in assisted reproductive technologies. Associations between AMH concentrations and ovarian stimulation outcomes in these species might derive from relationships between AMH concentration and antral follicle count or oocyte/embryo cellular function, as reported in other mammals; however, this remains to be tested.