Abstract
Background: Rodent pests can inflict devastating impacts on agriculture and the environment, leading to significant economic damage associated with their high species diversity, reproductive rates and adaptability. Fertility control methods could indirectly control rodent pest populations as well as limit ecological consequences and environmental concerns caused by lethal chemical poisons. Brandt's voles, which are common rodent pests found in the grasslands of middle-eastern Inner Mongolia, eastern regions of Mongolia, and some regions of southern Russia, were assessed in the present study. Methods: We evaluated the effects of a 2-mg/kg dose of levonorgestrel and quinestrol and a 1:1 mixture of the two (EP-1) on reproductive behavior as well as changes in the reproductive system, reproductive hormone levels, and toxicity in Brandt's voles. Results: Our results revealed that all three fertility control agents can cause reproductive inhibition at a dosage of 2 mg/kg. However, quinestrol caused a greater degree of toxicity, as determined by visible liver damage and reduced expression of the detoxifying molecule CYP1A2. Of the remaining two fertility control agents, EP-1 was superior to levonorgestrel in inhibiting the secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone and causing reproductive inhibition. We believe that these findings could help promote the use of these fertility control agents and, in turn, reduce the use of chemical poisons and limit their detrimental ecological and environmental impacts.