Plasma concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto PGF2alpha and progesterone during the oviposition cycle of the domestic goose (Anser anser domesticus).

Plasma 13,14-dihydro-15-keto prostaglandin F2alpha (PGFM) and progesterone levels were determined in actively ovulating, 1- to 2-yr-old female geese (Anser anser domesticus) at hourly intervals during the oviposition cycle, using the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique. The plasma PGFM concentration showed a peak at the time of oviposition and decreased to a basal level after oviposition. Progesterone levels began to surge approximately 12 to 13 h before ovulation and reached a peak 2 to 3 h before ovulation. The plasma progesterone concentrations returned to basal level at the time of ovulation. The present method of EIA was found to have practical application in analyses of progesterone and PGFM in plasma of birds.