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Thyroxine concentration in maternal and foetal plasma during pregnancy in Australian feral goats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

B. J. McDonald ,
D. C. Stocks ,
J. A. Connell  and
W. A. Hoey
B. J. McDonald
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Queensland 4105, Australia
D. C. Stocks
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Queensland 4105, Australia
J. A. Connell
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Queensland 4105, Australia
W. A. Hoey
Affiliation:
Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Animal Research Institute, Yeerongpilly, Queensland 4105, Australia
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Summary

Gestational age-related changes in plasma free thyroxine (FT4) concentration in maternal and foetal goats were determined for 65–140 days of pregnancy. The placental permeability to maternal thyroxine (T4) and iodine (I) during the last trimester of pregnancy was evaluated.

The presence of T4 in foetal circulation at 65 days' gestation, the absence of a significant correlation between maternal and foetal levels and the absence of any transplacental diffusion of 125I–T4 showed autonomous foetal thyroid function during pregnancy in goats. Significantly low maternal FT4 was measured at 95 and 110 days' gestation (32·7 and 31·5 pmol/1 respectively). Plasma concentration increased to 48·6 pmol/1 at day 125 then fell before parturition to a level similar to that of non-pregnant goats (41·9 pmol/1). In contrast, foetal FT4 increased with gestational age to 110 and 125 days when levels of 64·0 and 59·1 pmol/1 respectively were greater than those at all other ages, suggesting that the foetal hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid is functioning at a higher rate than the maternal system around this time. This was supported by increased foetal thyroid affinity for I when compared with the maternal thyroid at 110–140 days' gestation.

A significant cubic relationship between foetal FT4 and gestational age was established.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 110 , Issue 1 , February 1988 , pp. 25 - 30
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

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