title: Annual profiles of sex steroids in blood plasma and ovarian tissue of wild female musk shrew, Suncus murinus.
abstract: Relative ovarian weights with bursa and annual profiles of sex steroids have been described in the female musk shrew, Suncus murinus, collected in the vicinity of Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The relative gonadal weight was basal (23.20 +/- 1.20 mg/100 g) during anoestrus but enhanced (39.93 +/- 2.73 mg/100 g) abruptly at the onset of the breeding season. Plasma progesterone concentrations, measured during different parts of the year, indicated elevated levels during the late pregnant stage (p less than 0.01). The ovarian progesterone was also comparatively higher in late pregnant animals. No significant difference was observed in plasma and ovarian oestradiol.
authors.affiliation: Animal Sciences Institute, National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad, Pakistan.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mehmood
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Baig
mesh_terms: D000780:Anestrus / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D009929:Organ Size / Q000502:physiology; D010053:Ovary / Q000032:analysis* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D012621:Seasons; D012788:Shrews / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol