duplication wild cats They have been a danger to wildlife for some time now, as they act like predators of many other species and are completely vulnerable to this threat. Now, a group of scientists has discovered a method by which they can do it. Reduce these cat populations without physical harm to them.
An American research group has developed contraceptive injection single dose for female domestic cats (Felis silvestris catus). It is a gene therapy that cancels ovulation, so it may be a less invasive cat population control strategy than surgical neutering. The results of this study have been published Nature Communication.
According to scientists’ calculations, there are currently about 600 million domestic cats in the world, and their 80% street. According to the study’s authors, these animals often have a dangerous state of health and poor well-being, so they prey on specimens of other species in large numbers.
“The overpopulation of wild cats is also adverse effects on wild birds and other wildlife“, David Pépin, of Harvard Medical School (Boston, USA) and co-author of the study, explained to the agency SINC.
Until now, usually to control the cat population euthanasia In healthy cats living in crowded shelters, surgical sterilization this is not possible. In this sense, Pépin is urgently considering the development of a sterilization mechanism that does not require aggressive techniques such as surgery, while allowing “significant issues to be addressed”. ethical, economic and environmental issues the wandering companion is associated with animals”, in his own words.
Now in this proof-of-concept study, with participation from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden, nine sexually mature pussy. None of the six cats delivered the designed contraceptive during two mating trials, each lasting four months. In contrast, three females in the control group had offspring.
How does the treatment work?
In addition to suppressing induced ovulation (which occurs when cervical stimulation in certain animal species), injected cats lower progesterone levels More known than control group samples, this hormone is key in the pregnancy process as it prepares the uterus for implantation of the fertilized egg.
Contraceptive therapy, therefore, consists of the administration of a drug. antimullerian hormone transgene (AMH) is a glycoprotein that inhibits its development. Müllerian channelsIt is responsible for forming the cervix, uterus and tubes. Similarly, this marker has been shown to have a suppressive effect on maturation of ovarian follicles in mice.
“The AMH gene is very abundant in vertebrates, where it always plays a role. sexual differentiation and reproduction“, points out the researcher from Harvard Medical School. Therefore, “this method is very likely to work in other mammalian species and is currently we are testing its use in dogs“, To add.
The research team, who performed health checks on cats for two years after the injection, no adverse reactions were observed.
Although more testing is required to confirm its safety and efficacy, the method may offer a quick and easily viable option for inducing. permanent contraception in domestic and stray cats.
“We can adapt this technology. control of invasive species, highlights Pepin. But the biologist notes that “we need to match the AMH sequence to its genome for each species.”
Reference work: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-38721-0
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