title: Plasma progesterone, oestradiol-17 beta, oestrone sulphate, corticosteroids and a metabolite of PGF2 alpha: evolution throughout pregnancy, before, during and after parturition in buffalo cows.
abstract: The concentration of plasma progesterone, oestradiol-17 beta, oestrone sulphate, corticosteroids and 13,14-dihydro-15-ketoprostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM) was measured in 12 buffalo cows during the whole period of gestation, around parturition and for 15 d postpartum. The concentration of progesterone and oestradiol-17 beta increased slightly during the first 2 months (3.5 +/- ng/ml) and 4 months (14.8 +/- 2.1 pg/ml) of pregnancy, respectively. Their values remained consistently below these levels until near the end of the pregnancy period when progesterone concentrations decreased significantly (P < 0.05) at d 7 prepartum (0.9 +/- 0.1 ng/ml) and oestradiol-17 beta increased markedly (P < 0.01) at d 10 prepartum (26.3 +/- 2.6 pg/ml). Progesterone showed basal values (< 0.5 ng/ml) from d 4 prepartum to d 15 postpartum. Oestradiol-17 beta concentrations were maximal (82.8 +/- 3.6 pg/ml) during labour and returned to their basal values (< 12 pg/ml) at d 5 postpartum. The concentrations of oestrone sulphate remained low (< 140 pg/ml) during the first half of gestation period. It increased sharply (P < 0.01) thereafter to 5,620 +/- 116.5 pg/ml by 30 d prepartum and afterwards declined to about 50% of this value before calving reaching basal level (< 80 pg/ml) at d 2 postpartum. The concentration of corticosteroids fluctuated narrowly (1.7 +/- 0.3 ng/ml) throughout gestation, increasing significantly (P < 0.05) at d 12 prepartum (5.3 +/- 1.8 ng/ml) and peaking to 16.8 +/- 3.2 ng/ml at the moment of delivery. Its value declined below 3 ng/ml from d 3 onwards postpartum.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
authors.forename: H M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Eissa
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: el-Belely
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Ghoneim
authors.forename: O H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Ezzo
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000097:blood; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000097:blood*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood; D004970:Estrone / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000097:blood*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal / Q000097:blood*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D006728:Hormones; D004970:Estrone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D015237:Dinoprost