Changes in serum protein fractions and specific alpha and beta concentrations during lactation in Macaca fascicularis.

Physiologic variations are known to develop in milk and serum proteins of women during lactation. This study was intended to evaluate whether modifications of the major serum proteins and alpha, beta, and gamma fractions occur during lactation in Macaca fascicularis. The alpha 1 and gamma globulins decreased and the alpha 2 and beta globulins increased; results of specific protein determinations indicated a decrease in almost all globulins. The protein trends during lactation in M. fascicularis are probably modified by estrogen and progesterone variations after delivery. Estrogen trends are similar in women and cynomolgus monkey females, whereas progesterone patterns between women and female macaques are different during the postpartum period.