Noninvasive Measurement of Fecal Progesterone Concentration in Toy Poodles by Time Resolved Fluoroimmunoassay (TR-FIA)

Katsuhiko Nishimori,Kaori Narita,Atsushi Sugawara,Hideaki Yamashiro,Muneyoshi Yoshida,Eimei Sato,Satoshi Sugimura,Tsutomu Konno

doi:10.3844/ajavsp.2008.43.46

Abstract

Progesterone is an important reproductive hormone and measurement of its level by repeated blood samplings is beneficial to monitoring of estrus cycle. However, since toy poodles have a small body size and thin-walled blood vessels, repeated blood samplings cause stress and affect their preparation for mating or artificial insemination (AI). Therefore, a noninvasive method for monitoring progesterone concentration should be developed. Here, we show that time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay (TF-RIA) is a useful noninvasive method for determining the progesterone concentration in serum and fecal samples obtained from toy poodles. Present results demonstrate that progesterone concentrations in the fecal correlated with the serum collected in same time and the sequential changes in progesterone concentrations in the feces are paralleled in the serum. Therefore, this technique may be suitable for monitoring the estrus cycle in toy poodles.

Highlights

Progesterone is a hormone that controls many aspects of reproduction in female mammals, such as preparation of the endometrium for embryo implantation, maintenance of pregnancy, gonadotropin secretion and sexual behavior [1].In domestic dogs, progesterone levels have been monitored through repeated blood samplings to determine the various stages of the estrus cycle, pregnancy diagnosis and to determine the optimal mating or artificial insemination (AI) time [2,3,4]
Progesterone levels have been monitored through repeated blood samplings to determine the various stages of the estrus cycle, pregnancy diagnosis and to determine the optimal mating or artificial insemination (AI) time [2,3,4]
On the other sequential changes in the progesterone concentrations in the feces were paralleled in the serum during the estrus cycle

Summary

Introduction

Progesterone is a hormone that controls many aspects of reproduction in female mammals, such as preparation of the endometrium for embryo implantation, maintenance of pregnancy, gonadotropin secretion and sexual behavior [1].In domestic dogs, progesterone levels have been monitored through repeated blood samplings to determine the various stages of the estrus cycle, pregnancy diagnosis and to determine the optimal mating or artificial insemination (AI) time [2,3,4]. Monitoring the progesterone levels in smallbreed dogs such as the toy poodle by blood sampling has limitations. These include small body size and thinwalled blood vessels of the toy poodle; the stress of repeated blood samplings affects the dog’s preparation for mating or AI. A less stressful and repeatable sampling method such as fecal progesterone analysis would be beneficial for the small breed dogs such as toy poodles. EIA is less sensitive than RIA, it dose not require a special facility It provides an alternate, simple and highly sensitive procedure for fecal progesterone analysis in toy poodles that can be performed in a conventional area without the use of hazardous material

Objectives

Methods

Results