title: Parturition in the goat: plasma concentrations of prostaglandin F and steroid hormones and uterine activity during late pregnancy and parturition.
abstract: Changes in plasma concentrations of hormones and uterine activity associated with spontaneous parturition in the goat were examined. No change in oestradiol-17beta concentration was detected during the experimental period, but oestradiol-17alpha consistently increased in concentration 3-4 days before parturition. This was followed by an increase in prostaglandin F two days later, while a pre-partum decline in progesterone concentration occurred 18-20 h after the significant increase in prostaglandin F. The onset of uterine contractions coincided with a significant decline in progesterone concentration and a period of continually rising prostaglandin F and oestradiol-17alpha concentrations. Uterine activity expressed in Montevideo units did not change until 10-8 h before foetal expulsion. These results support the hypothesis that in the goat the elevated prepartum concentration of  prostaglandin F brings about luteolysis and a subsequent decline in progesterone concentration.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000097:blood*; D014590:Uterine Contraction; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D011460:Prostaglandins F; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol