Temporal relationships between peripheral plasma concentrations of oxytocin, progesterone and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha during the oestrous cycle and early pregnancy in the ewe.

Peripheral plasma concentrations of oxytocin, 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGFM), progesterone and LH were determined at 3 hourly intervals during the oestrous cycle (n = 3) and in early pregnancy (n = 4) in sheep. The progesterone and LH concentrations showed that the cycling ewes were sampled during the periods of luteal regression (decreasing progesterone concentrations), the preovulatory gonadotrophin surge and the beginning of the next luteal phase (increasing progesterone concentrations). The pregnant ewes had basal LH concentrations and luteal phase concentrations of progesterone (greater than 1ng/ml after day 5 following mating) throughout the whole of the sampling period. Oxytocin concentrations in the non-pregnant ewes decreased around the time of luteal regression to reach low concentrations (mean concentrations of approximately 18pg/ml) during the preovulatory period and then increased after the preovulatory surge. PGFM concentrations exhibited a pulsatile pattern with increasing concentrations as progesterone levels fell. In the pregnant ewes oxytocin concentrations gradually fell until approximately 16 days post-mating (approximately 7-8pg/ml). The magnitude of the pulses in PGFM concentrations were also lower than in the cycling ewes. These results demonstrate that the increased concentrations of PGFM which are found during the period of luteal regression are not caused by increased peripheral concentrations of oxytocin.