This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 90/1/335    most recent Author Manuscript (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tardif, S. D. Articles by Layne, D. G. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Tardif, S. D. Articles by Layne, D. G. Pubmed/NCBI databases Compound via MeSH Substance via MeSH Hazardous Substances DB CHORIONIC GONADOTROPIN ESTRADIOL HYDROCORTISONE Medline Plus Health Information High Risk Pregnancy Pregnancy Loss Related Collections Female Endocrinology

Endocrine Changes in Full-Term Pregnancies and Pregnancy Loss Due to Energy Restriction in the Common Marmoset (Callithrix jacchus)

Southwest National Primate Research Center (S.D.T., D.G.L.), San Antonio, Texas 78245; Department of Psychology and National Primate Research Center (T.E.Z.), University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin 53715; and American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (M.P.), Washington, D.C. 20024

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Suzette Tardif, Southwest National Primate Research Center, P.O. Box 760549, San Antonio, Texas 78245-0549. E-mail: stardif{at}icarus.sfbr.org.

Common marmosets, a New World primate, respond to a modest energy restriction with early termination of the pregnancy. Within female marmosets, comparisons (n = 6) between a normal, term pregnancy and a restriction-induced aborted pregnancy were used to establish cortisol, free estradiol, and chorionic gonadotropin (CG) as urinary markers of placental and fetal function under these two conditions. Abortions occurred 11–47 d after a 25% energy reduction during midpregnancy for all females. Cortisol concentrations were significantly lower in the last 2 wk for the restricted pregnancy than for matched samples in the normal term pregnancy. Both estradiol and estrone were examined in free and conjugated forms. Only free estradiol showed a significant reduction in mean concentrations during midpregnancy for the restricted females compared with their normal, term pregnancies. Mean CG levels from each female served as an independent marker of placental differentiation and function. CG levels were significantly lower during the 2 wk before abortion compared with matched days from a normal, term pregnancy. These data provide evidence that estradiol and cortisol are useful markers of placental and fetal viability in the common marmoset, and their reduced concentration following energy restriction suggests that restriction is not acting as a classical stressor by increasing cortisol and, subsequently, estradiol concentration.