Feto-Placental Steroids and Parturition in the Ewe Frederick Nimrod Thompson Jr
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Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Retrospective Theses and Dissertations Dissertations 1973 Feto-placental steroids and parturition in the ewe Frederick Nimrod Thompson Jr. Iowa State University Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd Part of the Animal Sciences Commons, Physiology Commons, and the Veterinary Physiology Commons Recommended Citation Thompson, Frederick Nimrod Jr., "Feto-placental steroids and parturition in the ewe " (1973). Retrospective Theses and Dissertations. 5054. https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/rtd/5054 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and Dissertations at Iowa State University Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Retrospective Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Iowa State University Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 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Xerox university inicrofiims 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Michigan 46106 74-582 THOMPSON, Jr., D.V.M., Frederick Nimrod, 1929- EETO-PLACENTAL STEROIDS AND PARTURITION IN THE EWE. Iowa State University, Ph.D., 1973 Physiology University Microfilms. A XEROX Company, Ann Arbor, Michigan THIS DISSERTATION HAS BEEN MICROFILMED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED. Feto-placental steroids and parturition in the ewe by Frederick Nimrod Thompson, Jr. A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department: Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology Major: Physiology (Domestic Animals) Approved: Signature was redacted for privacy. In Charge o& ajor Work Signature was redacted for privacy. Signature was redacted for privacy. I''or the Graduate College Iowa State University Of Science and Technology Ames, Iowa 1973 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE 3 A. The Adrenal Gland and Parturition 3 1. Naturally occurring variations in gestation length 3 2. Experimental means of altering gestation length 5 3. Corticosteroids in pregnancy 8 4. Effects of corticosteroids on the pregnant myometrium 18 B. Progesterone 19 1. Effects of progesterone on the myometrium 19 2. Interaction of glucocorticoids and progesterone 23 3. Plasma progesterone levels, kinetics and metabolism 25 C. Estrogens 31 1. Estrogen synthesis in the pregnant female 31 2. Estrogen levels and metabolism in the late pregnant female 34 3. The action of estrogens on the uterus 38 D. Other Substances Affecting Myometrial Function 4l 1. Prostaglandins ^1 2. Oxytocin, vasopressin and myometrial activity 43 III. MATERIAL AND METHODS ^9 A. General ^9 B. Surgery ^9 1. Adrenalectomy ^9 ill 2. Maternal cannulatlons and ovariectomy 52 3. Petal cannulatlons 5^ 4. Acute cannulatlons 57 C. Hormone Assay Procedures 58 1. General 58 2. Corticoid assay 60 3. Progesterone assay 62 4. Estrogen assays 64 D. Statistical Analysis 67 IV. RESULTS 68 A. General 68 B. Corticoids 71 C. Progesterone 8l D. Estrone 95 E. Estradiol IO6 F. Acute Cannulatlons 109 G. Petal Cannulatlons 114 V. DISCUSSION 117 A. Corticoids and Parturition 117 B. Progesterone and Parturition 126 C. Estrogens and Parturition 132 D. Interrelationships of Corticoids, Progesterone and Estrogens at Parturition 139 VI. SUMMARY 143 VII. LITERATURE CITED 146 VIII. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I68 IX. APPENDIX 169 iv LIST OF TABLES Plasma Cortisol levels in sheep and late pregnant women 10 Mean gestation length and number of lambs born 68 Mean steroid levels for the period day -10 through day +2 in the utero- ovarian (UO) and Jugular (J) plasma 71 Plasma corticoids (ng/ml) in intact and adrenalectomized (AD) ewes 75 Plasma corticoids (ng/ml) in ovariec- tomized (OV) and adrenalectomized- ovariectomized (AD-OV) ewes 79 The effects of treatments, days and treatment X day interaction on utero-ovarian (I) and jugular (II) 80 plasma corticoids Jugular plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in ewes 82 Utero-ovarian plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in ewes 83 The effects of treatments, days and treatment X day interaction on utero-ovarian (I) and jugular (II) plasma progesterone 87 Plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in ewes bearing single and multiple lambs 88 Jugular plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in intact and adrenalectomized (AD) ewes 92 Plasma estrone (pg/ml) in intact and adrenalectomized (AD) ewes 96 Correlation coefficients of utero- ovarian (UO) and jugular (J) plasma estrone with plasma corticoids and estradiol V The effects of treatments, days and treatment X day interaction on utero-ovarian (I) and jugular (II) plasma estrone 103 Plasma estrone (pg/ml) in ovariec- tomized (OV) and adrenalectomized- ovariectomized (AD-OV) ewes 104 The mean utero-ovarian progesterone/ total estrogen ratio in intact ewes 105 Plasma estradiol (pg/ml) intact and adrenalectomized (AD) 3wes 107 Plasma estradiol (pg/ml) in ovariec- tomized (OV) and adrenalectomized- ovariectomized (AD-OV) ewes 108 The effects of treatments, days and treatment X day interaction on utero-ovarian (I) and jugular (II) plasma estradiol 109 Plasma corticoids in the utero- ovarian vein (V) and uterine artery (A) following removal of the fetal lambs 110 Mean plasma progesterone levels in the utero-ovarian vein (V) and uterine artery (A) following removal of the fetal lambs 112 Plasma progesterone and corticoids (ng/ml)ln umbilical arterial (A) and venous (V) plasma 113 Petal plasma corticoids and maternal jugular plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in a ewe 115 Petal and maternal plasma corticoid concentrations (ng/ml) 116 vi Table Al. Preparation of protein binding solutions 169 Table A2. Preparation of scintillation fluids 170 Table A3. Preparation of celite column 170 Table A4. Preparation of estrogen assay reagents 171 Table A5. Preparation of uterine cytosol 171 Table A6. Gestation length and number of lambs bom to ewes in the four treatment groups 172 Table AJ. Mean steroid levels in intact control ewes as used in the analysis of variance 174 Table A8. Mean steroid levels in adrenalectomized ewes as used in the analysis of variance 175 Table A9. Mean steroid levels in ovariectomized ewes as used in the analysis of variance 176 Table AlO. Mean steroid levels in adrenalectomized- ovarle ctomi zed ewes as used in the analysis of variance 177 Table All. Progesterone levels in the utero- ovarlan vein (V) and the uterine artery (A) following removal of the fetal lambs 178 vil LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Standard curves In steroid assays 73 IA. Cortisol (ng/ml) standard curve IB. Progesterone (ng/ml) standard curve IC. Estrone (pg/ml) standard curve ID. Estradiol (pg/ml) standard curve Figure 2. Total plasma corticoids (ng/ml) in the utero-ovarian (UO) and Jugular (J) veins of control and adrenalectomlzed (AD) sheep before and after parturition 77 Figure 3. Plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in the utero-ovarian (UO) and Jugular (J) veins of control sheep before and after parturition 85 Figure 4. Plasma progesterone (ng/ml), before and after parturition, in the utero- ovarian (UO) and Jugular (J) veins of sheep carrying single or multiple fetal lambs 91 Figure 5. Plasma progesterone (ng/ml) in the Jugular vein of control and adrenalec tomlzed (AD) sheep before and after parturition 94 Figure 6. Plasma estrone (pg/ml) in the utero- ovarian (UO) and Jugular (J) veins of control sheep before and after parturition 98 Figure 7. Plasma estrone (pg/ml) in the utero- ovarian vein of control and adrenalec tomlzed (AD) sheep before and after parturition 102 1 I. INTRODUCTION This investigation was undertaken to better define the plasma steroidal changes that occur in the parturient ewe. Although parturition can now be induced in several species with a massive dose of glucocorticoids, the mechanism of action is not understood and retained placenta is an associa ted problem. It is felt that the livestock wastage associated with parturition can be reduced and the labor involved in closely watching livestock can be more intensely utilized if the parturition process is scheduled. Consequently, if the physiological events at parturition are elucidated, the basis for a more rational means of parturition induction, regard less of species, would perhaps be possible.