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Influence of the fetal pituitary–adrenal axis on fetal and maternal progesterone and unconjugated oestrogen concentrations in the pig

Summary. Fetal and maternal plasma progesterone and unconjugated oestrone and oestradiol-17β concentrations were measured in intact pig fetuses and those in which the pituitary had been destroyed. Progesterone concentrations were significantly higher (P < 0·05) and oestrogen concentrations significantly lower (P < 0·01) in hypophysectomized fetuses than in intact fetuses. When fetuses in one uterine horn only were hypophysectomized, oestrogen concentrations in the uterine vein draining this horn were lower than those from the contralateral vein. The results indicate that both fetal and maternal oestrogen concentrations are influenced by the fetal pituitary. When dexamethasone was infused (at 27µg/h for 96 h) into 5 chronically-catheterized hypophysectomized fetuses no changes in peripheral fetal progesterone or oestrone were observed.