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.