title: Pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) concentration in plasma and milk samples for early pregnancy diagnosis in Lacaune dairy sheep.
abstract: In the present study, four RIA systems (RIA-1 to -4) based on two antisera raised against ovine pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (ovPAGs), combined with an ovine or a bovine PAG tracer were used to measure PAG concentrations in plasma and milk samples of dairy ewes. Blood and milk samples were collected on different days of gestation: 0, 18, 20, 22, 25, 28, 32, 42, and 49. From day 20 onward, the PAG in plasma could be detected in all pregnant ewes using the four RIA systems. By using milk, except for RIA-1, the other systems showed a sensitivity of 100% from day 28 of gestation onward. In plasma, PAG concentrations were higher in multiple than in single pregnancies, while no clear relationship was observed in milk. In conclusion, milk is a good alternative to plasma for early pregnancy diagnosis in sheep from day 28 to day 42.
authors.affiliation: INRA, Regional Center of Agronomic Research, Settat, Morocco.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: El Amiri
authors.affiliation: Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Bd de Colonster n°20 B41, B4000 Sart Tilman, Belgium.
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Sousa
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production and Pasture, Faculty of Agronomy, Universidad de la República, Garzón 780, Montevideo, Uruguay.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alvarez Oxiley
authors.affiliation: INRA, Statistics and Informatics, Rabat, Morocco.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hadarbach
authors.affiliation: Physiology of Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liege, Bd de Colonster n°20 B41, B4000 Sart Tilman, Belgium. Electronic address: jfbeckers@ulg.ac.be.
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Beckers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D002417:Cattle; D005260:Female; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D011258:Pregnancy Tests / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000662:veterinary; D012756:Sheep; D034561:Sheep, Domestic / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D016282:Aspartic Acid Endopeptidases; C094766:pregnancy-associated glycoprotein 1
keywords: Early pregnancy diagnosis; Milk; Number of fetuses; PAG–RIA system; Plasma; Sheep