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Plasma Progesterone in Reindeer in Relation to Ovariectomy and Hysterectomy

Plasma progesterone hos reinsdyr ved ovariektomi og hysterektomi.

Abstract

Four semi-domesticated reindeer were ovariectomized and 3 both ovariectomized and hysterectomized, 30-70 days before expected parturition. Anaesthesia with etorphine/propyonylphenthiazine was followed by an increase in the plasma concentration of progesterone of peripheral blood. The concentration of progesterone returned to pre-anaesthetic values before ovariectomy. Ovariectomy did not result in any substantial change in the plasma progesterone concentration within an observation period of 35–120 min. Hysterectomy was followed by a marked decrease in peripheral plasma progesterone within 60 min. The progesterone concentration in ovarian venous blood was slightly higher than the jugular venous blood in 1 animal and 150 and 400 times higher in the 2 other animals examined. Thus, despite lack of marked changes of progesterone in jugular venous blood upon ovariectomy, it is concluded that the ovaries are a major production site of progesterone in pregnant reindeer.

The progesterone in uterine venous blood was close to that in the jugular vein in 1 animal, and slightly higher in 2 others. This observation, and the maintenance of pregnancy in spite of ovariectomy in 2 out of 4 animals, point to the foeto-placental unit as an additional source of progesterone production.

Sammendrag

Fire tamrein ble ovarieektomert og 3 dyr ble i tillegg deretter hysterektomert 30–70 dager før forventet kalving. Etorphine/propyonylphenthiazineanestesi resulterte i en forbigående økning i progesteronnivået i perifert blod. Før ovarieektomi ble utført hadde progesteronnivået igjen nådd utgangsnivået. Ovarieektomi ga ingen markerte forandringer i plasma progesteronverdiene i obser-vasjonsperioden (35–120 min). Hysterektomi resulterte i et markant fall i progesteronkonsentrasjon i jugularveneblod i løpet av 60 min.

Progesteronkonsentrasjonen i ovarievenen ble hos 1 dyr funnet å være moderat høyere, og hos de 2 andre 150–400 ganger høyere enn i jugularveneblod.

Til tross for manglende effekt av ovarieektomi på plasmaprogesteronnivået, konkluderes det derfor med at ovariene er et hovedproduksjonssted av progesteron hos drektige reinsdyr.

Hos 1 dyr ble progesteronkonsentrasjonen i ute-rusveneblod funnet å være tilnærmet lik konsen-trasjonen i jugularveneblod, mens det hos de 2 andre var litt forhøyet. Denne observasjonen, og det forhold at drektigheten ble opprettholdt etter ovarieektomi hos 2 av 4 dyr tyder på at den føto-placentale enhet bidrar til progesteronproduksjon.

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Sjaastad, Ø.V., Blom, A.K., Austad, R. et al. Plasma Progesterone in Reindeer in Relation to Ovariectomy and Hysterectomy. Acta Vet Scand 31, 45–51 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1186/BF03547576

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