the acute phase protein ceruloplasmin as a non-invasive marker of pseudopregnancy, pregnancy, and pregnancy loss in the giant panda急性期蛋白血浆铜蓝蛋白作为假孕的非侵入性标记,在大熊猫怀孕,怀孕和损失.pdfVIP

The Acute Phase Protein Ceruloplasmin as a Non- Invasive Marker of Pseudopregnancy, Pregnancy, and Pregnancy Loss in the Giant Panda 1 2¤ 3 1 Erin L. Willis *, David C. Kersey , Barbara S. Durrant , Andrew J. Kouba 1 Department of Conservation and Research, Memphis Zoological Society, Memphis, Tennessee, United States of America, 2 Department of Reproductive Sciences, Center for Species Survival, Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, National Zoological Park, Front Royal, Virginia, United States of America, 3 Reproductive Physiology Division, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California, United States of America Abstract After ovulation, non-pregnant female giant pandas experience pseudopregnancy. During pseudopregnancy, non-pregnant females exhibit physiological and behavioral changes similar to pregnancy. Monitoring hormonal patterns that are usually different in pregnant mammals are not effective at determining pregnancy status in many animals that undergo pseudopregnancy, including the giant panda. Therefore, a physiological test to distinguish between pregnancy and pseudopregnancy in pandas has eluded scientists for decades. We examined other potential markers of pregnancy and found that activity of the acute phase protein ceruloplasmin increases in urine of giant pandas in response to pregnancy. Results indicate that in term pregnancies, levels of active urinary ceruloplasmin were elevated the first week of pregnancy and remain elevated until 20–24 days prior to parturition, while no increase was observed during the luteal phase in known pseudopregnancies. Active ceruloplasmin also increased du