Thompson K V, Mashburn K L, Monfort S L
Conservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park, 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, Virginia, 22630, USA.
Gen Comp Endocrinol. 1998 Oct;112(1):129-37. doi: 10.1006/gcen.1998.7152.
Fecal progesterone metabolite monitoring techniques were validated for the sable antelope and used to characterize ovarian cycle dynamics and reproductive seasonality in a captive population at the National Zoological Park's Conservation and Research Center. Hormone was homogeneously distributed within fecal samples. Longitudinal fluctuations in fecal progesterone metabolites were consistent with typical luteal phase patterns and corresponded closely with changes in serum progesterone. The lag time from an im injection of progesterone to peak excretion in feces was 16 h. The pattern of births showed a slight peak in the summer (May-July), but year-round endocrine monitoring of six nonpregnant females showed no evidence of seasonality in ovarian activity. Females exhibited 11-14 estrous cycles per year, averaging 24.2 +/- 0.9 days in length. Luteal and interluteal phases were 18.4 +/- 0.9 and 5.8 +/- 0.4 days in length, respectively. Although only a small number of hippotragine antelope species have been studied, data indicate that they exhibit considerable interspecific variability in estrous cycle length and reproductive seasonality and thus may be a useful group for further investigation of factors regulating fertility.
粪便孕酮代谢物监测技术已在南非大羚羊身上得到验证，并用于描述国家动物园保护与研究中心圈养种群的卵巢周期动态和繁殖季节性。激素在粪便样本中分布均匀。粪便孕酮代谢物的纵向波动与典型的黄体期模式一致，且与血清孕酮的变化密切相关。从肌肉注射孕酮到粪便中排泄峰值的滞后时间为16小时。分娩模式在夏季（5月至7月）略有高峰，但对6只未怀孕雌性动物进行全年内分泌监测显示，卵巢活动没有季节性迹象。雌性动物每年表现出11 - 14个发情周期，平均长度为24.2±0.9天。黄体期和黄体间期长度分别为18.4±0.9天和5.8±0.4天。尽管仅对少数牛科羚羊物种进行了研究，但数据表明它们在发情周期长度和繁殖季节性方面表现出相当大的种间变异性，因此可能是进一步研究调节生育力因素的有用群体。
