The term "Pregnant Mare Serum" refers to a blood serum obtained from the blood of a pregnant mare. The spelling of this word could be a bit tricky for those who are not familiar with the IPA phonetic transcription. It is pronounced as /ˈprɛɡnənt mɛr sɪrəm/. The "P" is pronounced as "p", the "r" is pronounced as "r", the "e" is pronounced as "ɛ", the "g" is pronounced as "ɡ", and so on. Overall, the proper pronunciation of this term is crucial in the medical field.
Pregnant Mare Serum (PMS) is a biomedical product that refers to the blood serum collected from pregnant mares, specifically from their jugular veins, during the first three months of pregnancy. It contains a rich source of equine gonadotropins, predominantly equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) or commonly known as pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMSG).
The high concentration of eCG in pregnant mare serum makes it a valuable pharmaceutical substance for various applications in both veterinary and human medicine. eCG is particularly important as it has a similar effect on the reproductive system as luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in mammals, including humans.
Pregnant mare serum is often used in assisted reproductive technologies, such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer, to stimulate ovulation in females and improve their chances of conception. In veterinary practice, it can also be utilized to regulate the estrus cycle in mares for breeding purposes. Additionally, PMS has been employed in medical research and clinical settings to study the endocrine system and develop treatments for infertility or hormonal disorders in both animals and humans.
It is worth noting that the collection of pregnant mare serum has been the subject of debates concerning animal welfare due to the confinement and hormonal manipulation involved. Consequently, alternative sources and synthetic forms of eCG have been developed to minimize the reliance on pregnant mare serum.