Plasma concentrations of progesterone and 13,14-dihydro-15-keto prostaglandin F-2 alpha in pregnant, pseudopregnant and hysterectomized pseudopregnant mice.

Hysterectomized pseudopregnant mice had plasma progesterone concentrations on Days 6, 8, 10 or 12 after mating that were greater (P less than 0.05) than those of intact pseudopregnant mice and lower (P less than 0.01) than those of pregnant mice. Concentrations of 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-prostaglandin F-2 alpha on Days 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 after mating were lower (P less than 0.05) in pregnant and higher (P less than 0.01) in intact pseudopregnant mice than in hysterectomized pseudopregnant mice. The results support the conclusion that there are uterine and extra-uterine luteolytic mechanisms which are mediated by prostaglandin and are perhaps functional by Day 6 of pregnancy.