Vincent Emily C, Bapodra-Villaverde Priya, Branen Josh R, Dadone Liza
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Powell, OH 43065, USA.
College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
J Zoo Wildl Med. 2024 Mar;55(1):42-47. doi: 10.1638/2023-0058.
The Masai giraffe () is endangered in the wild, and successful reproduction in managed care is important to help maintain assurance populations of this highly charismatic subspecies. Detection of pregnancy in giraffes using hormonal monitoring requires multiple samples and cannot distinguish pregnancy from pseudopregnancy. A novel enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay that can detect pregnancy-specific protein B (PSPB) for pregnancy diagnosis with a single serum sample was developed from a reticulated giraffe () placenta. Seventy-eight serum samples were analyzed from three female Masai giraffes before and during five gestation periods that resulted in live calf births. Using an optical density cutoff of 0.2, the assay showed a sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 100% for all samples tested. At 59 d of gestation, sensitivity increased to 100%. The earliest pregnancy detection was at 40 d of gestation. This study documents the successful development of a blood-based PSPB assay for pregnancy diagnosis in Masai giraffe, which can help advance conservation efforts in this endangered species.
马赛长颈鹿（）在野外濒临灭绝，在人工饲养环境中成功繁殖对于帮助维持这个极具魅力的亚种的保障种群至关重要。使用激素监测来检测长颈鹿是否怀孕需要多个样本，并且无法区分怀孕和假孕。一种新型酶联免疫吸附测定法可以从网纹长颈鹿（）的胎盘中开发出来，用单一血清样本检测妊娠特异性蛋白B（PSPB）以进行妊娠诊断。在三只雌性马赛长颈鹿的五个妊娠期前后共分析了78份血清样本，这些妊娠期均产下了活仔。使用光密度截断值0.2，该测定法对所有测试样本的灵敏度为93%，特异性为100%。在妊娠59天时，灵敏度提高到100%。最早检测到怀孕是在妊娠40天时。这项研究记录了一种基于血液的PSPB测定法在马赛长颈鹿妊娠诊断中的成功开发，这有助于推进对这种濒危物种的保护工作。
