Plasma Prolactin during the Luteal Phase and Pregnancy in Non-Parturient and Parturient Blue Fox Vixens

Abstract

Plasma prolactin secretion during the luteal phase and pregnancy was studied in 11 mated but non-parturient and 26 parturient blue fox vixens. Prolactin was measured in blood plasma once or twice a week using a heterologous double-antibody radioimmunoassay. Data for all females were fitted with an animal model. In both groups of females, prolactin concentrations increased slowly during the early post mating period. For the parturient vixens the prolactin values increased further until parturition, whereas there was only a slight increase in the non-parturient vixens. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed in prolactin release between the non-parturient and parturient animals from day 36 after mating. A possible role of prolactin may exist in the luteotrophic complex maintaining pregnancy in blue fox vixens, because higher levels of plasma prolactin and progesterone appeared in the parturient vixens compared to the non-parturient during the second half of gestation.