Breed differences in circulating equine relaxin

Equine relaxin has been previously determined in a small number of pregnant Thoroughbred mares. To better define the normal pregnancy pattern of relaxin, the current study reports on a much larger number of mares. It also was designed to determine if all equids have the same gestational pattern of relaxin secretion. Plasma samples were collected weekly in 24 Standardbred mares, every 7-10 days in 10 pony mares, and daily in late pregnancy from 16 burros. Standardbreds had higher concentrations of relaxin than that reported for Thoroughbreds during most of gestation and did not exhibit the midpregnancy nadir in relaxin concentrations observed in Thoroughbreds. Relaxin concentrations in Standardbreds showed a small but steady decline from Day 150 until delivery. Pony mares had lower relaxin concentrations throughout pregnancy than other mares and had continuously increasing concentrations during gestation. Burros had relaxin concentrations intermediate to ponies and other mares in late gestation. Burros induced to foal with oxytocin showed a sharp increase in relaxin concentrations. No effect of the sex of the offspring was observed in relaxin profiles in Standardbred mares. Each of three Standardbreds with abnormal termination of pregnancy exhibited abnormally low relaxin concentrations at some point in the gestation prior to termination of the pregnancy. Thus, relaxin may be an indicator of placental functioning and used to assess at-risk pregnancies in mares.