Effect of Indomethacin and Prostaglandin F2α on Parturition in Swine

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Abstract
Twenty-five Yorkshire sows were used to determine whether prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) is a natural luteolytic agent in swine. The sows were given the following treatments: (1) control vehicles of indomethacin and PGF2α; (2) PGF2α infused for 10 hr at .5 mg/hr on day 110 of gestation; (3) indomethacin injected IM at 4 mg/kg twice daily from day 109 to day 116; (4) indomethacin + PGF2α infusion (treatment 2 and 3), and (5) indomethacin (treatment 3) + PGF2a infused continuously from day 110 until the end of parturition. In treatment 5, infusion was begun at a rate of .5 mg/hr for 24 hr, and then increased to 3 mg/hr for 3 hr, 6 mg/hr for 3 hr and 9 mg/hr until the end of parturition. Controls showed a decline in progesterone, a surge to peak levels in relaxin and an increase in PGF2α-metabolite (PGF2α-M) on the day before parturition, and mean length of gestation was 114.9 days. Indomethacin prolonged gestation, to 120 days, and delayed prepartum changes in concentrations of progesterone, relaxin and PGF2α-M. PGF2a caused a premature decline in progesterone, a surge in relaxin, an increase in PGF2α-M and premature parturition. Termination of PGF2a infusion in sows treated with indomethacin returned PGF2α-M to baseline levels, delayed and prolonged delivery and caused a high rate of stillbirths. Supplementation of PGF2α infusion with high doses of PGF2a for sows treated with indomethacin brought PGF2α-M to peak levels at parturition and resulted in a normal rapid delivery of live piglets. These results show that PGF2α is a natural luteolytic agent in swine at term, causing a prepartum decline in progesterone and release of relaxin from the corpora lutea, and that high levels of PGF2α are needed for rapid delivery. Copyright © 1981. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1981 by American Society of Animal Science.

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