Urinary Estrogens During Pregnancy of the Ruffed Lemur (Lemur Variegatus) 1

Abstract

Pregnancy in the ruffed lemur (L. variegatus) was monitored by analyses of urinary estrogens. Urinary samples were collected weekly throughout pregnancy (gestation: 100 .+-. 1.6 days) from 10 females analyzed for total immunoreactive estrogen (Et) and indexed by creatinine (Cr). Maternal urinary total estrogen excretion remained low until the last half of gestation at which time excretion increased steadily, reaching values 1000 times greater than those observed at estrus. Chromatographic separation after enzyme hydrolysis of lemur urine indicates that estrone is the major estrogenic component of pregnancy in the ruffed lemur, with the remaining components consisting of equal amounts of estradiol-17.alpha. and -17.beta.