title: FSH and LH plasma levels in bitches with differences in risk for urinary incontinence.
abstract: To determine whether the height of the plasma gonadotropin levels after spaying is associated with urinary incontinence, the concentrations of plasma follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were determined once in 191 intact and 308 spayed bitches. The bitches were grouped according to their risk for urinary incontinence and the medians of their respective gonadotropin levels were compared. For intact anestrous bitches, the FSH- and LH-plasma concentrations were 5.2 (4, 8) ng/mL (median (Q1, Q3)) and 0.5 (0.5-0.5) ng/mL, respectively. In the first year after spaying, the gonadotropin concentrations rose significantly, then stabilised at a level around 10 times those of intact bitches (FSH 62.5 (44, 91) ng/mL; LH 6.1(4, 11) ng/mL). The plasma gonadotropin concentrations of long-term spayed (>12 months) continent bitches (n=209) were higher (FSH 66.8 (46, 104) ng/mL; LH 6.5 (4, 11) ng/mL) than in spayed incontinent bitches (n=60) (FSH 51.5 (38, 74) ng/mL; LH 5.5 (3, 8) ng/mL), the latter also had a higher body weight. Multiple regression analysis showed that the FSH-plasma concentration and not the body weight was decisive for the occurrence of urinary incontinence. The results of this study suggest that levels of gonadotropins are associated, directly or indirectly in the pathophysiology of urinary incontinence after spaying.
authors.affiliation: Section of Small Animal Reproduction, Department of Small Animals, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstr.260, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. ireichler@vetclinics.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Iris Margaret
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Reichler
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jöchle
authors.forename: Claude A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Piché
authors.forename: Malgorzata
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Roos
authors.forename: Madeleine
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hubler
authors.forename: Susi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arnold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D016015:Logistic Models; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D010052:Ovariectomy / Q000662:veterinary; D012307:Risk Factors; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000097:blood / Q000662:veterinary*
chemical_list: D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone