FECAL STEROID-HORMONE ANALYSIS AS AN INDICATOR OF REPRODUCTIVE FUNCTION IN THE CHEETAH

Techniques were developed and validated to measure fecal estrogen and progesterone concentrations of the female cheetah. Fecal samples were collected from seven mature females. Cheetahs were monitored before ma ting and continued until parturition. Four females had normal pregnanc ies, one conceived but the pregnancy resulted in spontaneous abortion, one was mated but apparently did not conceive and one was treated wit h gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and human chorionic gonadotrop in (hCG) to induce follicular growth and ovulation. Vaginal superficia l cells increased with increasing estrogen concentrations. Peak estrog en occurred one day postcopulation. Increases in fecal progesterone co ncentrations, indicative of ovulation, occurred after copulation and h ormonally induced ovulation. For the first time reproductive function can be monitored in the cheetah using noninvasive sample collection. ( C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.