Urinary sex steroid hormone and placental leucine aminopeptidase concentration differences between live births and stillbirth of Bornean orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus)

Kodzue Kinoshita, Yusuke Sano, Akira Takai, Mika Shimizu, Toshio Kobayashi, Akihiro Ouchi, Noko Kuze, Miho Inoue-Murayama, Gen'ichi Idani, Munehiro Okamoto, Yasuhiko Ozaki

Abstract

Background
Under the environment of pregnancy, the placenta assumes an important steroidogenic role in the maintenance of pregnancy.

Methods
Urinary placental leucine aminopeptidase (PLAP), estrone-3-glucuronide (E_1 G), and pregnanediol-3-glucuronide (PdG) concentrations were compared among five pregnancies (four live births and one stillbirth) in four orangutans.

Results
The gestation period of the stillbirth (223 days) was shorter than that of the live births (239-254 days). In females who gave a live birth, average PLAP and E_1 G concentrations increased until the delivery. Conversely, in the female who gave a stillbirth, PLAP concentration failed to increase, and E_1 G concentration was significantly low in late pregnancy period. Regarding PdG concentrations, there was no significant difference among all pregnancies.

Conclusions
This is the first study reporting a change in urinary PLAP, E_1 G, and PdG concentrations during orangutan stillbirth and live birth pregnancies. The findings will assist in developing pregnancy screening tests.

Bibliographic information

Journal of Medical Primatology
doi: 10.1111/jmp.12249
URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/jmp.12249/full

2016/11/28 Primate Research Institute