Influence of volume of food intake on blood flow in the portal vein and the clearance of progesterone from plasma in gilts

Abstract

One hypothesis for the adverse effect which a high food intake in early pregnancy has on early embryo mortality in gilts is that it increases blood flow through the liver and in consequence the rate of removal of progesterone from the blood. To study this aspect the metabolic clearance rate of progesterone (MCR) from plasma and the rate of blood flow in the portal vein were measured concurrently during 14 hour periods in six ovariectomised gilts, weighing 70 to 80 kg, when their food intake was 1 and 3 kg/day. To determine the MCR, progesterone was infused into a jugular vein at 70 ug/minute for 36 hours. The concentration of progesterone was determined in plasma samples collected from a cannula in the posterior vena cava at 20 minute intervals during the last 14 hours of infusion when an equilibrium had established between the rates of infusion and clearance. Because ovariectomy removed the principal endogenous source of progesterone, body fat became depleted of the steroid. Therefore, a priming dose of approximately 100 mg of progesterone in arachis oil was given intramuscularly 48 and 24 hours before each infusion started.