Hodges J K, Henderson C, McNeilly A S
J Reprod Fertil. 1983 Jan;67(1):121-7. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0670121.
Oestrone, oestradiol-17 beta and oestriol were measured in plasma samples from non-pregnant and pregnant African elephants shot in the wild. Enzymic hydrolysis of plasma showed that approximately 90 and 96% of the total (i.e. conjugated plus unconjugated) concentrations of oestrone and oestradiol-17 beta, respectively were represented by conjugated hormones. Unconjugated oestrogens remained low (less than 50 pg ml) in all samples, with no distinction between non-pregnant and pregnant animals. Levels of total oestrone during pregnancy varied between 160 and 594 pg/ml but were not significantly different from non-pregnant values. Total oestradiol-17 beta concentrations were significantly elevated during pregnancy (P less than 0 X 01) and, despite considerable individual variation (193-1428 pg/ml), were consistently higher than non-pregnant values after 6 months of gestation. The elevated levels of oestradiol-17 beta resulted in a reversal of the total oestradiol-17 beta: oestrone concentration ratio at about 6 months of pregnancy. Concentrations of total oestriol did not exceed 103 pg/ml. An indirect method of measurement indicated that oestradiol-17 beta sulphate was probably the most abundant circulating oestrogen during pregnancy in the African elephant.
对在野外射杀的未怀孕和怀孕非洲象的血浆样本中的雌酮、17β -雌二醇和雌三醇进行了测量。血浆的酶促水解表明，雌酮和17β -雌二醇的总浓度（即结合型加上非结合型）中，分别约有90%和96%由结合型激素代表。所有样本中的非结合型雌激素水平仍然较低（低于50 pg/ml），未怀孕和怀孕的动物之间没有差异。怀孕期间总雌酮水平在160至594 pg/ml之间变化，但与未怀孕时的值没有显著差异。怀孕期总17β -雌二醇浓度显著升高（P小于0.01），尽管个体差异很大（193 - 1428 pg/ml），但在妊娠6个月后始终高于未怀孕时的值。17β -雌二醇水平的升高导致在怀孕约6个月时总17β -雌二醇与雌酮浓度比发生逆转。总雌三醇浓度不超过103 pg/ml。一种间接测量方法表明，17β -雌二醇硫酸盐可能是非洲象怀孕期间循环中最丰富的雌激素。
