MONITORING FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION BY MEASUREMENT OF FECAL ESTROGEN AND PROGESTERONE METABOLITES IN THE WHITE-FACED SAKI (PITHECIA-PITHECIA)

A simple method for extracting and measuring ovarian steroids in feces is applied to the ovarian cycle, pregnancy, parturition, and period o f lactational amenorrhea in Pithecia pithecia. Small amounts of wet, u nmixed feces were combined with a modified phosphate buffer, shaken, c entrifuged, and decanted, and the supernatant was directly measured fo r estrogen and progesterone metabolites by enzyme immunoassays. Urinar y estrogen and progesterone metabolite measurements were compared to p aired fecal measurements to determine the degree to which fecal hormon e levels detected the same ovarian events as urinary measurements. The correlation coefficients for the relationship between urinary and fec al hormones for individual animals studied (n = 5) were found to be st atistically significant in every case except one sexually immature ani mal. The application of the method presented here demonstrates that si mple solubilization and non-radiometric measurement of ovarian steroid s excreted in feces reliably reflect reproductive events in Pithecia p ithecia. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.