Shenfei Wang, Mengshi Zhang, Feiping Li, Xianbiao Hu, Yan Li, Juan Wang, Xiangyu Liu, Rong Hou, Yuliang Liu, Kailai Cai
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, 1375# Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu Sichuan, 610081, P.R. China.
Sichuan Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology on Endangered Wildlife, 1375 #Panda Road, Northern Suburb, Chengdu Sichuan, 610081, P.R. China.
Biol Reprod. 2025 Feb 14;112(2):319-330. doi: 10.1093/biolre/ioae178.
The embryonic diapause of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) has caused great difficulties in monitoring pregnancy in this vulnerable species. The secretion of prolactin (PRL) from anterior pituitary glandular lactotropic cells is an important signal for the termination of embryonic dormancy. Currently, the mechanism by which PRL affects embryonic diapause in giant pandas and methods for detecting PRL in this species is poorly understood. In this study, the first sandwich enzyme immunoassay for detecting PRL in giant panda urine was established by using two antigiant panda PRL antibodies prepared as coating and labeling antibodies, and PRL recombinant proteins prepared via the prokaryotic system as standards. The established method was used to detect the levels of PRL in the urine of giant pandas during pregnancy. At the same time, the changes in PRL levels in giant pandas and the relationship between PRL and progestagen levels were analyzed during the luteal phase. The results showed that in female giant pandas, PRL levels significantly increased before the progestagen peak, and during the luteal phase, the PRL level was significantly greater in giant pandas that gave birth than in those that did not give birth and those in the nonestrus group. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to preliminarily explore the mode of action of PRL in the gestation period of giant pandas and lays a foundation for further study of the regulatory mechanisms of endocrine hormones in the giant panda.
大熊猫（Ailuropoda melanoleuca）的胚胎滞育给监测这个濒危物种的怀孕情况带来了极大困难。垂体前叶腺促乳素细胞分泌的催乳素（PRL）是胚胎休眠终止的重要信号。目前，PRL影响大熊猫胚胎滞育的机制以及该物种中PRL的检测方法尚不清楚。在本研究中，利用制备的两种抗大熊猫PRL抗体分别作为包被抗体和标记抗体，以及通过原核系统制备的PRL重组蛋白作为标准品，建立了首个用于检测大熊猫尿液中PRL的夹心酶免疫测定法。所建立的方法用于检测大熊猫怀孕期间尿液中的PRL水平。同时，分析了大熊猫黄体期PRL水平的变化以及PRL与孕激素水平之间的关系。结果表明，在雌性大熊猫中，PRL水平在孕激素峰值出现前显著升高，且在黄体期，分娩的大熊猫PRL水平显著高于未分娩的大熊猫和非发情期组的大熊猫。据我们所知，这是首次初步探索PRL在大熊猫妊娠期作用模式的研究，为进一步研究大熊猫内分泌激素的调控机制奠定了基础。
