Estrogens (estrone sulphate, estrone, estradiol-17beta sulphate and estradiol-17beta) were measured in the allantoic and amniotic fluids and the maternal peripheral, uterine venous and ovarian venous plasma of the ewe throughout gestation. Particular emphasis was placed on the interval day 20 to day 60 of gestation since the estrogen profile in the various fluid compartments of the pregnant ewe during the time of the implantation of the fetus into the uterus of the mother was of primary interest in this study. Estrone sulphate was the most important estrogen with respect to concentration present. It could first be measured in the allantoic and amniotic fluids at day 31 and peaked between days 45 and 50 of pregnancy. It was found that the changes in levels of estrone sulphate, estrone and estradiol-17beta sulphate in the allantoic fluid throughout gestation were very similar to what has been reported regarding estrone sulphate in the peripheral plasma of the pregnant pig, in the allantoic fluid of the cow and regarding total estrogens in the urine of the pregnant pig. A comparison of the estrogen levels in the uterine venous, ovarian venous and maternal peripheral plasma of the pregnant ewe implicated the conceptus, rather than the ovaries, as the source of these estrogens produced during gestation. The possible site or sites of production of these estrogens within the conceptus were discussed along with theories regarding where the conversion of the estrogens to active estradiol-17beta might take place. A functional relationship between estrogens and placental vascular development is postulated.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/10561 |
| Date | January 1977 |
| Creators | Carnegie, Jacqueline Anne. |
| Publisher | University of Ottawa (Canada) |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 101 p. |
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