Comparative study on 15-ketodihydro-PGF(2α) plasma concentrations in newborn horses, donkeys and calves.

The research article focuses on studying the plasma profiles of a certain hormone, 15-ketodihydro-PGF(2α), in newborn donkeys, horses, and calves from their birth until they reach three weeks of age.

Objective of the Research

• The study aims to analyze and compare the concentration of a hormone known as 15-ketodihydro-PGF(2α), referred to as PGM, in the blood of newborn horses, donkeys, and calves. The research focuses on the course of the first three weeks of these neonates’ lives to understand the development and differences in the hormone levels across these species.

Research Methodology

• The study was conducted on twenty-four horse foals, twelve donkey foals, and nine calves. All these subjects were born after an appropriate gestation period and had normal delivery. The newborns were all mature and viable.
• Blood samples were collected at different periods post birth – ten, twenty, thirty minutes, three hours, twenty-four hours, seventy-two hours, and at seven, ten, seventeen, and twenty-one days of life, to track the changes in the PGM concentration.

Findings and Analysis of the Study

• The results showed that horse foals had a higher concentration of the PGM hormone twenty and thirty minutes after being born compared to later times. On the other hand, a high concentration of PGM hormone was observed in donkey foals only ten minutes after their birth compared to later.
• The PGM concentration in calves was higher during ten, twenty, thirty minutes, and three hours after their birth.
• The research suggests that variations in the hormone concentration may be due to an increased production from the fetal placental unit during parturition. Additionally, the high levels of PGM observed in the days following birth could be related to the role of this hormone in the completion of organ maturation.
• Despite the differences between these species, there were no statistically significant differences found in PGM profiles during the first three weeks of life between donkey, horse, and cattle newborns. The researchers suggest that the lower levels of PGM observed ten days after birth could be due to these species’ rapid maturation development.