Pregnancy Monitoring in Diverse Primate Species by Estrogen and Bioactive Luteinizing Hormone Determinations in Small Volumes of Urine

Abstract

Immunoreactive estrogen and luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (LH/CG) bioactivity have been measured throughout pregnancy in diverse primate species with a simple methodological approach utilizing small volumes of urine collected randomly. Total immunoreactive estrogen levels and the relative abundance of component estrogens (estrone, estradiol and estriol) at various stages of gestation were compared in the human, orangutan, pygmy chimpanzee, Doue langur and capuchin. Measurement of urinary LH/CG bioactivity enables an earlier detection of pregnancy when compared to the nonhuman primate pregnancy test. The methods described provide a practical and non-stressful way to detect and monitor pregnancy in widely divergent primate species.

Urinary excretion of oestrone conjugates and gonadotrophins during pregnancy in the Goeldi's monkey (Callimico goeldii)

“…Sustained elevations of CG concentrations in the Goeldi's monkey occurred for a mean of 44-8 days, approximately a third of the pregnancy, but this value is shorter than that reported for other New World primates; i.e. 112 days for the common marmoset (Chambers & Hearn, 1979); 100 days for the squirrel monkey, Samiri sciureus (Hodgen et al, 1978); 80 days for the cotton-top tamarin (Ziegler et ai, 1987a) and 60 days for an individual capuchin (Czekala et al, 1981). Data are limited for cebid species and when more are available considerable variability in the duration of CG excretion amongst New World primates may be apparent.…”

“…CG elevations do not occur until 13-17 days after the LH surge in the common marmoset (Chambers & Hearn, 1979;Hearn, 1985) and 20 days after the LH surge in the cotton-top tamarin (Ziegler et al, 1987a). The capuchin monkey also has an elevated urinary bioactive CG rise 20 days after the LH surge (Hodges et al, 1979;Czekala et al, 1981). The delayed CG rise is most probably due to lack of antibody specificity for CG in New World primates, since no specific antisera are available.…”

Monitoring female reproductive function by measurement of fecal estrogen and progesterone metabolites in the white‐faced saki (Pithecia pithecia)

“…While other steroids or steroid metabolites like estradiol and progesterone are likely present in Pithecia excreta, the present initial study focused only on estrone and pregnanediol because these are known to be primary or major metabolites in other South American primates [Czekala et al, 1981;Hodges et al, 1979Hodges et al, , 1981Hodges et al, , 1983Hodges & Eastman, 1984;Ziegler et al, 1989,19901 and the enzyme immunoassays for these metabolites were immediately available. Furthermore, the comparison of fecal to urinary excretion required the use of assays that can detect the steroid metabolites common to both fecal and urinary compartments.…”

Reproduction and Breeding of Nonhuman Primates

“…Measurement of hydroxypregnenolone excretion has been used for this purpose in marmosets (Hodges et al, 1983;Heger and Neubert, 1987), tamarins, and owl monkeys (Kleiman et al, 1978;Heistermann et al, 1987;Ziegler et al, 1987). In a study by Czekala et al (1981), pregnancy was monitored via small urine volumes and measurements of immunoreactive E t and LH/CG bioactivity in four diverse species: the orangutan, pygmy chimpanzee, Douc langur, and capuchin (Czekala et al, 1981). Measurement of E t alone was sufficient to detect and monitor pregnancy in most species.…”