台灣高山田鼠糞便中性類固醇濃度變化與生殖之關係

Changes in Daily Fecal Sex Steroid Concentrations with Relation to Reproductive Cycle of the Formosan Mountain Field Vole (Volemys kikuchii)

本研究之目的在應用糞便中性類固醇的分析，探討台灣高山田鼠（Volemys kikuchii）之生殖生理狀態，並提供此一台灣特有動物之基本生殖生理資料。本試驗自2007年7月至12月，於每日上午蒐集飼養於台北市立動物園中的10隻雌性台灣高山田鼠之糞便，經萃取後，應用酵素免疫分析法（enzyme-immunoassay, EIA）進行性類固醇包括孕酮（progesterone, P4）與雌二醇（estradiol, E2）濃度之分析。結果顯示，未配對之成年雌性高山田鼠糞便中，孕酮與雌二醇於採樣期間存在以4-5天為1個周期的變化，顯示其動情周期可能以4-5天為1循環。此外，在配對飼養的高山田鼠部分，其糞便孕酮分析結果推測，高山田鼠的懷孕期約為24-25天。由本試驗應用糞便類固醇萃取及酵素免疫分析系統，初步完成高山田鼠之動情周期與懷孕期的生殖生理相關內泌素變化，並提供此一台灣特有之高山田鼠更完整之生殖生理資料。 The objective of this study was to investigate the reproductive physiology of the Formosan mountain vole (Volemys kikuchii), an endemic species in Taiwan. Fecal samples were collected daily in the morning from ten adult females (5 unpaired and 5 paired) at the Taipei Zoo during the period from July to December, 2007. The progesterone and estradiol concentrations of the fecal samples were determined with the enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) method. The results revealed that the vole had the progesterone and estradiol cycle of 4-5 days and the gestation period of 24-25 days.