Progesterone and Prostaglandin F metabolite levels in relation to modes of whelping

Parturition involves a series of changes in the blood levels of various hormones. The present study aimed to examine the concentrations of progesterone and 15-ketodihydroprostaglandin F2α or PGFM (prostaglandin F metabolite) hormones on the day of delivery across different modes of whelping. Bitches that underwent vaginal whelping (VW) (Group I), elective caesarean section (CS) (Group II), emergency CS (Group III) and mifepristone primed whelping (Group IV) presented to University Veterinary Hospitals, Kokkalai and Mannuthy constituted the material for the present study. The study enrolled a total of 28 bitches from different breeds. Serum progesterone was estimated using a chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) and serum PGFM was measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Progesterone levels were below 2.25 ng/mL in all groups, with Group I showing the lowest levels on the day of whelping, significantly different from the other groups. Groups II, III and IV had similar progesterone levels on the day of parturition/caesarean. Group I also had the highest PGFM level (89.10 ± 6.12 nM/L) on the day of whelping. Group II had higher PGFM levels (33.00 ± 2.78 nM/L) compared to Group IV (20.94 ± 2.61 nM/L), while Groups III and IV had similar PGFM levels. The significant hormonal variations observed in different groups signify the role of different modes of whelping in modulating the endocrine axis and pregnancy outcome. Keywords: Progesterone, PGFM, whelping mode