Serial maternal plasma concentrations of progesterone and estradiol during the morning, the afternoon and at night throughout normal pregnancy in the cynomolgus macaque.
Total progesterone (P4) and estradiol (E2) were determined in plasma from 10 pregnant cynomolgus macaques, Macaca fascicularis. A non-invasive blood collection technique utilizing a squeeze-cage and a catheter fixed momentarily in the brachial or saphenous vein allowed a 10-min serial blood sampling (SBS) for 3 h in the morning, the afternoon or at night at 30, 50, 70, 90, 110, 130, 150 and 165 days of pregnancy and on the day after delivery, without modifying gestation length or damaging fetal health. During an SBS session, extensive fluctuations of high P4 levels (greater than 10 ng/ml) were sometimes observed and infrequent pulses might occur, while E2 levels fluctuated only slightly but increased progressively. It is concluded that, even with the SBS method, individual differences in hormone patterns still occur throughout pregnancy. We suggest that a single daily P4 or E2 determination is not an accurate indicator of pregnancy normality.
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INSERM, Unité 262, Paris, France.
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D000818:Animals; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D008252:Macaca fascicularis; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000097:blood*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors
D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol