Estradiol-17 beta and estradiol-17-glucosiduronate before and at delivery.

The maternal peripheral serum level of estradiol-17 beta (E2), which reaches a peak a few weeks before delivery, may play a role in initiating delivery. In this study, the steroidal activity regulated by both the production and conjugation was estimated by measuring estradiol-17-glucosiduronate (E2-17-G), E2, estriol-16-glucosiduronate (E3-16-G), and estriol (E3) before and at delivery. At delivery, levels of E2 and E2-17-G were higher in the maternal peripheral vein (MP) than in the umbilical vein (UV) and umbilical artery (UA), but those of E3 and E3-16-G were higher in UV and UA than in MP. These results suggested that the production and conjugation of E2 were mainly regulated on the maternal side, but those of E3 were regulated mainly in the feto-placental unit. The ratios of E2/E2-17-G in MP were or became high a few weeks before delivery but decreased remarkably as pregnancy progressed to delivery. The activity of E2 seems to be regulated at least in part by conjugation in late pregnancy and at delivery.