PLACENTAL LACTOGEN IN THE GOAT IN RELATION TO STAGE OF GESTATION, NUMBER OF FETUSES, METABOLITES, PROGESTERONE AND TIME OF DAY

Abstract

Placental lactogen has been measured in goats throughout pregnancy by radioreceptor assay of prolactin-like activity. Lactogenic activity, which is not prolactin, increased from less than 5 nmol/l in week 8 to 27 nmol/l by week 16. There was no further change until term. Plateau concentrations (week 16 to term) were highest in animals carrying triplets, 49·5 nmol/l. There were marked fluctuations in placental lactogen over a 24 h period. These short-term fluctuations were not related to changes in glucose, non-esterified fatty acids or, in two animals, progesterone. However, there was a negative correlation between mean concentrations of placental lactogen and glucose in plasma of 20 goats sampled over a 24 h period between weeks 15 and 20 of gestation. There was no difference in placental lactogen concentration from week 16 to term between goats in their first and second pregnancies although the normal period of increase in placental lactogen was delayed by some 3 weeks in goats in their second pregnancy. In hemimastectomized goats, hypophysectomy on day 60 did not affect placental lactogen but daily treatment with bromocriptine (5 mg/day) from day 60 to day 120 blocked the normal rise in concentration.