title: Secretion of progesterone and 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone during the estrous cycle in goats.
abstract: The secretion of progesterone and 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone (20 alpha-DHP) during the estrous cycle and the effects of prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) and 20 alpha-DHP on the secretion of these two steroids during the midluteal phase in goats were studied. The mean progesterone concentration in the peripheral plasma was extremely low (< 0.01 ng/mL) on the day of estrus. The concentration increased to a maximum (7.80 ng/mL) on about day 10 after estrus, and decreased rapidly during the last 3 days of the cycle. The plasma concentration of 20 alpha-DHP also was low (0.86 ng/mL) on the day of estrus, but increased gradually after estrus and decreased gradually in the last 5 days of the cycle (to 3.22 ng/mL). The ratio of progesterone to 20 alpha-DHP was > 1 after day 2 of estrus, but decreased and fell to < 1 during the last 3 days of the cycle. An injection of 3 mg of PGF2 alpha decreased the secretion of progesterone within 30 min, but affected the secretion of 20 alpha-DHP little until 2 h. The ratio of progesterone to 20 alpha-DHP fell to < 1 after 24 h. Three of the five goats given such an injection came into estrus within 2 days, and the other two came into estrus within 3 days. An injection of 15 mg of 20 alpha-DHP did not affect progesterone secretion or the estrous cycle length. These results indicate that in the goat after estrus, there is much 20 alpha-DHP in the peripheral plasma. Progesterone may be catabolized to the biologically inactive steroid, 20 alpha-DHP, during luteolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Reproduction, College of Agriculture, University of Osaka Prefecture, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawada
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tamada
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D004092:20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006041:Goats / Q000502:physiology*; D008183:Luteal Phase; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism*; D011460:Prostaglandins F / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011460:Prostaglandins F; D004092:20-alpha-Dihydroprogesterone; D011374:Progesterone; C100006:prostaglandin F1