Title
Relaxin concentrations in serum and urine of endangered species: Correlations with physiologic events and use as a marker of pregnancy
Author(s)
Steinetz B.G., Brown J.L., Roth T.L., Czekala N.
Published
2005
Publisher
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
Abstract
Many mammalian species are facing extinction due to problems created by human encroachment, agriculture, pollution, and willful slaughter. Among those at risk are the Asian and African elephant, Sumatran rhinoceros, and giant panda. Conservation groups try to save species in the wild hy preserving habitat and limiting animal-human conflicts, often with limited success. Another alternative is to preserve the extant gene pool through captive breeding as a hedge against extinction. Measurement of circulating reproductive hormones is impractical for most wildlife species; determination of urinary or fecal hormone metabolites provides a more viable approach. To aid breeding management, one important tool is the ability to diagnose and monitor pregnancy, especially in species with long gestations (e.g., rhinos over 15 mo and elephants over 20 mo). Unfortunately, measuring progestins often is not useful diagnostic-ally, because concentrations are similar during at least part of the pregnancy and the nonpregnant luteal phase in some species (e.g., elephants, rhinoceroses, and giant pandas). As serum relaxin reliably distinguishes between pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in bitches, relaxin measurement might also provide a method for detecting a successful pregnancy in endangered species. Appropriate immunoassay reagents have enabled the estimation of relaxin concentrations in the serum of elephants and rhinos and the determination of pregnancy establishment and the outcome. Relaxin was also detected in panda serum and urine. However, the extreme variability of the time between observed mating and parturition and the confounding factors of delayed implantation, pseudopregnancy, and frequent fetal resorptions made it impossible to use the panda relaxin data as a specific marker of pregnancy. © 2005 New York Academy of Sciences.
Keywords
biological marker; gestagen; relaxin; agriculture; breeding; conference paper; delivery; elephant; endangered species; fetus resorption; habitat structure; hormone blood level; hormone determination; hormone urine level; luteal phase; mating; nidation; nonhuman; pollution; pregnancy; pseudopregnancy; species extinction; Animals; Biodiversity; Biological Markers; Ecology; Elephants; Female; Perissodactyla; Pregnancy; Relaxin; Ursidae; Ailuropoda melanoleuca; Animalia; Canidae; Dicerorhinus sumatrensis; Elephantidae; Loxodonta; Mammalia; Rhinoceros; Rhinocerotidae
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PUB12326