Monitoring female reproductive function by measurement of fecal estrogen and progesterone metabolites in the white‐faced saki (Pithecia pithecia)

Abstract

A simple method for extracting and measuring ovarian steroids in feces is applied to the ovarian cycle, pregnancy, parturition, and period of lactational amenorrhea in Pithecia pithecia. Small amounts of wet, unmixed feces were combined with a modified phosphate buffer, shaken, centrifuged, and decanted, and the supernatant was directly measured for estrogen and progesterone metabolites by enzyme immunoassays. Urinary estrogen and progesterone metabolite measurements were compared to paired fecal measurements to determine the degree to which fecal hormone levels detected the same ovarian events as urinary measurements. The correlation coefficients for the relationship between urinary and fecal hormones for individual animals studied (n = 5 ) were found to be statistically significant in every case except one sexually immature animal. The application of the method presented here demonstrates that simple solubilization and non-radiometric measurement of ovarian steroids excreted in feces reliably reflect reproductive events in Pithecia pithecia.

Long-term Study of Group Dynamics and Female Reproduction in Venezuelan Pithecia pithecia

“…Subjects expressed aggression at peripheral individuals via chasing and provided details about social strategies that researchers should examine further in free-ranging sakis. I also present data on female reproduction and development that accord well with studies of captive sakis (Savage et al, 1992(Savage et al, , 2002Shideler et al, 1994).…”

“…We weighed and dried samples further if necessary, and reconstituted them in solubilizing buffer. We shook the buffer solution for 24-48 h. We then centrifuged, diluted, aliquoted, and assayed the samples via enzyme immunoassay for pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) and estrone conjugate (E 1 C) fecal metabolites (Shideler et al, 1994). Fecal samples permitted us to document physiological events that are useful from a demographic perspective, i.e., onset of ovulatory function, pregnancy, early fetal loss, and duration of lactation.…”

“…Fecal samples permitted us to document physiological events that are useful from a demographic perspective, i.e., onset of ovulatory function, pregnancy, early fetal loss, and duration of lactation. Shideler et al (1994) and Savage et al (1992Savage et al ( , 2002) explicate more detailed methods and related work on the reproductive physiology and behavior of captive white-faced sakis.…”

Concentrations of four fecal steroids in wild baboons: short-term storage conditions and consequences for data interpretation

“…In many cases, however, these types of investigations require the detection of subtle differences in hormone concentrations among individuals and through time. When gross patterns are examined, fecal steroid profiles often appear ''noisy,'' with high variation around mean values, in comparison to urine or serum profiles (Boinski et al, 1999;Heistermann et al, 1996;Shideler et al, 1994;Ziegler et al, 1996). Therefore, when more subtle patterns are the target of interest, minimizing this noise is essential in order to detect real biological differences with strong resolution.…”

Species-specific patterns in fecal glucocorticoid and androgen levels in zoo-living orangutans (Pongo spp.)

“…In this respect, pregnanediol glucuronide (PdG), an abundant metabolite of progesterone in primate feces (e.g. [22,60] was measured in the methanolic extracts used for GC analysis (see above) using an enzyme immunoassay previously described in detail by Heistermann et al [22]. Sensitivity of the assay at 90% binding was 12.5 pg and intra-and inter-assay coefficients of variation determined from high-and low value quality controls were 5.9% (n = 16) and 13.1% (n = 14) (high) and 7.2% (n = 16) and 14.8% (n = 14) (low), respectively.…”