Effects of luteectomy in early pregnancy on the maintenance of gestation and plasma progesterone concentrations in the viviparous temperate lizard Barisia imbricata imbricata

Table 2 Progesterone plasma concentrations¹ in luteectomised, sham luteectomised and intact pregnant females of viviparous lizard Barisia imbricata imbricata

Treatment	before surgery	24 h after surgery	8 weeks after surgery	16 weeks after surgery	24 weeks aftersurgery	immediate postpartum
luteectomy	1.22 ± 0.14 (n = 9)	0.48 ± 0.15^f(n = 9)	0.55 ± 0.14^g(n = 8)	0.76 ± 0.15^h(n = 9)	0.46 ± 0.16 (n = 7)	0.47 ± 0.16 (n = 7)
sham luteectomy	1.01 ± 0.16 (n = 7)	1.01 ± 0.16^d(n = 7)	1.85 ± 0.16**^e (n = 7)	1.12 ± 0.18 (n = 6)	0.64 ± 0.19 (n = 5)	0.27 ± 0.17 (n = 7)
Intact control	1.13 ± 0.15 (n = 8)	1.04 ± 0.15^a(n = 8)	2.13 ± 0.15*^b (n = 8)	1.33 ± 0.16^c(n = 7)	0.67 ± 0.19 (n = 5)	0.38 ± 0.16 (n = 8)

¹values are in ng/ml.
n = number of blood samples used.
*^, ** = Peak of P₄ levels; the means was significantly higher at p < 0.01 with respect to remaining times of pregnancy examined (whiting to the same group).
^fis significantly less with respect to ^aand ^dat p < 0.01.
^gis significantly less with respect to ^band ^eat p < 0.01.
^his significantly less with respect to ^cat p < 0.01.

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