Effect of stage of gestation and foetal number on plasma concentrations of a pregnancy serum protein (PSP-60) in cattle
1998
Patel, O.V. | Camous, S. | Takenouchi, N. | Takahashi, T. | Hirako, M. | Sasaki, N.
This study characterised the peripheral plasma concentration of PSP-60 throughout gestation, and examined the effect of stage of gestation and foetal number on this protein in Holstein cows after non-surgical embryo transfer. Cows (n=12) were divided into two groups; Group I contained single embryo recipient cows (n=5), Group 2 contained twin-embryo recipient cows (n=7). Blood was collected approximately every third day from day 0 (first day of standing oestrus), then daily for the last 10 days of gestation and until one day post-partum. Two of the twin-embryo recipient cows had abnormal pregnancies, consequently data from them was considered separately. In both groups PSP-60 increased progressively from about day 20 post-oestrus to 20 days pre-partum (from 0.9 +/- 0.2 to 49.7 +/- 8.7 ng ml-l, and from 1.3 +/- 0.6 to 115 +/- 34.9 ng ml-l (mean +/- SEM), in singleton and twin-bearing groups, respectively). The mean concentrations between 20 and 10 days pre-partum increased dramatically by about six-fold (P<0.001) in singleton-bearing cows (from 49.7 +/- 8.7 ng ml-l to 283.8 +/- 73.7 ng ml-l) to over two-fold in twin-bearing cows (from 115 +/- 34.9 ng ml-l to 284 +/- 98.2 ng ml-l). The mean concentrations of the two groups were indistinguishable between 10 days pre-partum and parturition. Cows giving birth prematurely to stillborn calves or to a schistosomus reflexus calf exhibited abnormal PSP-60 profiles. Our findings indicate that peripheral plasma PSP-60 concentrations are correlated to the stage of gestation and foetal number, and assist in predicting foeto-placental viability.
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