Effects of short-term treatment with testosterone on the secretion of FSH and LH in castrated golden hamsters exposed to short days

Castrated hamsters which were transferred from long (14L:10D) to short (9L:15D) days and received testosterone-filled capsules for 1 week after transfer failed to show a significant suppression in the plasma levels of FSH and LH after capsule removal. In contrast, gonadotrophin concentrations were suppressed in hamsters in which the long-day castration response had been blocked with exogenous testosterone. After castration on long days and exposure to 10 weeks of short days pituitary gland weight and gonadotrophin content, as well as plasma FSH titres, were higher in control animals than in those that had received testosterone implants for 7 weeks of short days. The results suggest that failure of castrated hamsters to respond to the suppressive effects of short days reflects castration-induced changes in hypothalamo-pituitary physiology rather than a neuroendocrine mechanism by which photoperiod modulates gonadotrophin secretion.     

Reproductive effects of olfactory bulbectomy in the Syrian hamster

The effects of olfactory bulbectomy on circulating gonadotropin, prolactin and testosterone levels and on the testicular and pituitary responses to shortening of day length were studied in Syrian hamsters. Adult animals maintained on a 14L:10D cycle were sham-operated or sustained bilateral radical olfactory bulbectomies by aspiration to remove the main and accessory olfactory bulbs and the adjacent regions of the anterior olfactory nucleus. They were then maintained either on the long photoperiod or housed on a 10L:14D cycle. Testicular length was measured at weekly intervals over a 5-mo period. Sham-operated controls exhibited the normal pattern of testicular regression and eventual recrudescence on the short photoperiod. Testicular regression was significantly reduced in bulbectomized animals. Many of these animals showed no regression; others exhibited a reduced degree and/or shortened duration of regression. Serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were substantially elevated in bulbectomized males maintained in long days. Their serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH), prolactin and testosterone remained within the range for shams on long photoperiod. In short days, the bulbectomized animals showed the normal, pronounced decline in circulating prolactin levels. Serum FSH and LH levels also showed substantial declines, but the FSH levels were not reduced below the range for controls in long days, and the decline in LH levels was not as great as that for controls in short days.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Melatonin and 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) alter the response of the male Syrian hamster to natural photoperiod

Adult male hamsters bearing either a blank beeswax, 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (6-MBOA), or melatonin pellet were exposed to 8 weeks (Oct. 6–Dec. 6) of natural autumn decreasing photoperiod (<11 h light) and temperature conditions (mean 10°C for last 4 weeks) or to a 14 h light/10 h dark (14L10D) photoperiod and controlled temperature (20°C). Melatonin but not 6-MBOA pellets partially prevented the combined effects of short photoperiod and cold temperatures on the testes and accessory organs. However, both 6-MBOA-and melatonin-treated hamsters maintained outdoors had significantly higher pituitary follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) values compared to their respective indoor-treated controls or to the animals kept outdoors and treated with a blank beeswax pellet. When one compares the various effects of 6-MBOA and melatonin (2 mg/month) on the reproductive system of the male hamster, 6-MBOA is not as effective as melatonin in altering reproductive responses to short photoperiod and cool temperatures at the dose administered.     

Photoperiod affects reproductive responsiveness to 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone in house mice

House mice (Mus musculus) have traditionally been characterized as nonphotoperiodic because reproductive function is unaffected by day length in the laboratory. In the present study, the reproductive responsiveness of CF1 mice to a naturally occurring plant metabolite was assessed in animals that were maintained in either long (16L:8D) or short (8L:16D) photoperiods from birth until the end of the study. Males and females were implanted i.p. with either an empty Silastic capsule or one containing 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) at either 21 or 60 days of age for 3 days. Other 31-day-old mice were implanted with capsules for 8 wk. Three-day exposure to 6-MBOA stimulated uterine growth in short-day, adult females, but did not affect adult females housed in long photoperiods. Short-term treatment with 6-MBOA did not significantly affect reproductive parameters in either long- or short-day peripubertal house mice, or in adult males regardless of photoperiod, nor did exposure to 6-MBOA for 8 wk influence reproduction in males in either photoperiodic condition. However, short-day female mice had significantly reduced ovarian and uterine masses after 8 wk chronic 6-MBOA treatment as compared to long-day animals or mice unexposed to 6-MBOA. Short-day females exposed to 6-MBOA for 8 wk developed a denser pelage compared to long-day mice treated with this compound. Photoperiod-mediated differential responsiveness to 6-MBOA indicates that female house mice can discriminate long from short days, and these results suggest that the physiological mechanisms for photoperiodic responsiveness remain extant in this species previously characterized as nonphotperiodic.     

Effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone,stage of sexual maturation and 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone on plasma gonadotropins,ovarian development and uterine weight in prepuberal gilts

Two experiments were conducted with prepuberal gilts at 60, 120 and 160 days of age to a) determine the effect of 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone 6-MBOA) on reproductive plasma hormone concentrations and organ development, and b) determine how plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations before and after injection of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) or 6-MBOA varied in relation to ovarian development. In Exp. 1, 12 gilts were used in a 4×4 Latin square design. Four gilts/age group were injected once with: 1) vehicle, 2.5% propylene glycol in 50% ethanol, 2) 2 μg of GnRH/kg body weight (BW), 3) 0.2 mg of 6-MBOA/kg BW, and 4) 2 mg of 6-MBOA/kg BW on four successive days in random order. Blood was collected via indwelling vena cava catheters. Injection of GnRH into gilts increased plasma FSH and LH at each age compared with vehicle (P<0.05). Hormone profiles for FSH and LH differed among age groups (P<0.01), but area under curves did not differ significantly among age groups. Injection of 6-MBOA did not significantly affect plasma FSH and LH. Plasma FSH and LH before the GnRH injection or on days when GnRH was not injected were greater at 60 than at 120 and 160 days (FSH, 128 vs 54 and 42 ng/ml; LH, 0.38 vs 0.16 and 0.13 ng/ml for 60, 120 and 160 days, respectively (P<0.05). In Exp. 2, vehicle, 0.2 or 2 mg of 6-MBOA/kg BW were injected once daily for 7 days in 19 gilts. Injections of 6-MBOA had no detectable effects on gonadotropin secretion, ovarian development or uterine weight. Between 60 and 120 days of age, vesicular follicles developed, ovarian weight increased 20-fold, and uterine weight increased 10-fold (P<0.05); basal concentrations of plasma FSH and LH decreased three- and twofold, respectively.     

Gonadotropin secretion and testicular function in golden hamsters exposed to skeleton photoperiods with ultrashort light pulses

Both sexually mature and sexually regressed male golden hamsters were transferred to asymmetric skeleton photoperiods with night interruptions of varying duration, the short pulses occurring 14 h after "dawn." Testicular function and accompanying changes in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone and spermatogenesis were observed. Sexually regressed animals exposed to a night-break of 6 seconds (sec) or longer exhibited maximal testicular development with a rapid rise in FSH secretion followed by a slower, more variable rise in LH. Full testicular size was achieved after 8 weeks. Night-breaks of 250 milliseconds (msec) or 1 sec induced testicular development and spermatogenesis but at a slower rate: levels of FSH and LH were still rising at the end of the experiment. Complete testicular maintenance was achieved by night-breaks of 1 sec or longer. Partial testicular regression was observed with a night-break of 250 msec. Night-breaks (60 sec) given less frequently than daily also stimulated testicular function and a night-break every 7 days increased FSH and LH secretion in sexually regressed hamsters, causing testicular development at a submaximal rate. Night-breaks given more frequently induced rapid testicular growth. Almost complete testicular maintenance of sexually mature hamsters was achieved with a 60-sec night-break at weekly intervals. Symmetric skeleton photoperiods also triggered testicular development in sexually regressed hamsters, with two 1-sec light pulses (14 h apart) being almost as effective as a normal long day. No difference in reproductive function was observed between animals on long days (14L:10D) and those exposed to maximally stimulatory skeleton photoperiods.     

Periventricular and suprachiasmatic lesion effects on photoperiodic responses of the hamster hypophyseal-gonadal axis

We examined the involvement of neural mechanisms within the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and periventricular area (PVA), and the role of prolactin (Prl) in control of endocrine function in short day-exposed Syrian hamsters. Hamsters bearing lesions of the SCN or PVA, hamsters implanted with an anterior pituitary under the kidney capsule to provide sustained Prl levels, and sham-operated hamsters were exposed to either 14L:10D or 8L:16D. After 9 wk, hamsters were sacrificed, and their testes and pituitaries were studied in vitro to assess their secretory capacity. SCN lesions and large periventricular lesions impinging on the paraventricular nucleus prevented testicular regression during short-day exposure. Small periventricular lesions and pituitary implants did not prevent gonadal regression in hamsters exposed to short days. Testis weights were positively correlated with basal and luteinizing hormone (LH)-stimulated androgen production in the control and lesioned groups; pituitary implants prevented the decline in androgen production in vitro in gonadally regressed animals. The relative in vitro pituitary response to gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation in control and lesioned groups was not reduced by short-day exposure. These data indicate that either axons coursing dorsally from the SCN or extra-SCN structures in the periventricular/paraventricular area are necessary for testicular regression in short photoperiods.     

Gonadal development and gonadotrophin secretion in the male vole (Microtus agrestis) after an abrupt change in photoperiod

Male voles were reared from birth to age 28 days in 6L:18D. Pairs of animals showing similar sexual development were assigned at random to 16L:8D or 6L:18D. Treatments continued for a further 56 days. Increase in the activity of the hypothalamo-hypophysial system occurred within 4 days of exposure to 16L:8D, as shown by significant elevation of plasma LH and FSH. Pituitary LH did not increase until Day 7, and pituitary FSH did not increase until Day 21. After exposure to 16L:8D for 4 days, pituitary FSH was lower than in corresponding animals in 6L:18D. These discrepancies between pituitary and plasma values of gonadotrophins indicate that increase in hormone release occurs before synthesis is fully stimulated. Enhanced output of testicular hormones probably began between Day 7 and Day 14, as indicated by an increase in seminal vesicle weight, yet plasma and pituitary concentrations of LH and FSH remained elevated. This suggests that long photoperiods may cause direct stimulation of the hypothalamo-hypophysial system which increasing values of testicular hormones are initially unable to inhibit. The response of this system in voles to an abrupt change from a non-stimulating to a stimulating photoperiod has a time course resembling that for the Soay ram but appreciably slower than for the Japanese quail.     

Photoperiodic regulation of glutamatergic stimulation of secretion of luteinizing hormone in male Syrian hamsters.

It has been suggested that changes in endogenous glutamatergic stimulation of secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) induced by photoperiod play a role in regulating seasonal cycles of reproductive activity. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that the glutamatergic control of the secretion of LH in the male Syrian hamster is sensitive to photoperiod, by determining whether the glutamate agonist N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) could stimulate LH secretion in this species and, if so, to determine whether the response varied among animals exposed to different daylengths. In the first experiment, adult male hamsters were housed in either short day (8 h light: 16 h dark) for 6 weeks to induce testicular regression, or long days (16 h light: 8 h dark) to maintain testicular function, and the effects of systemic administration of NMDA on serum LH concentrations were determined. In the short-day hamsters, all s.c. doses of NMDA (25-75 mg kg-1 body weight) produced a robust rise in serum LH concentrations within 15 min. In the long-day hamsters, basal LH concentrations were higher than in short-day hamsters, but only the highest dose of NMDA produced a significant increase in LH concentrations, and the magnitude of this increment was less than those observed in short days. In hamsters in long days, the low doses of NMDA that did not significantly alter LH concentrations nevertheless significantly suppressed serum prolactin concentrations, demonstrating the efficacy of the drug. In hamsters in short days, serum prolactin concentrations were at the limit of detection of the assay, so no inhibitory effect of NMDA on prolactin secretion could be determined on this photoperiod. In the second experiment, the effects of a fixed dose of NMDA (50 mg kg-1 body weight) was tested at intervals in hamsters exposed to short days for a prolonged period such that their testes initially regressed, but then became scotorefractory and testicular recrudescence occurred. After 6 and 12 weeks in short days, NMDA stimulated LH secretion. However, after 24 weeks in short days when testicular recrudescence was complete, the response to NMDA was lost. A third experiment determined whether the reduced response to NMDA in hamsters on long days relative to those in short days might result from higher concentrations of circulating testosterone. Hamsters in long days were castrated to remove the influence of gonadal feedback, and the response to NMDA tested 3 weeks later when endogenous LH concentrations had risen to levels characteristic of the chronically castrated condition.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Effects of age and photoperiod on the responsiveness of the pituitary gland of the vole (Microtus agrestis) to stimulation by GnRH

Male voles were raised from birth to 100 days of age in photoperiods of 16L:8D or 6L:18D. In the long photoperiod testes increased in size between 15 and 80 days of age, and there was an increase in seminal vesicle weight from 60 days of age. Spermatozoa were present in the testes at 60 days of age. In the short photoperiod testicular growth did not begin until 50 days of age with the seminal vesicles beginning to increase at 80 days of age. Spermatozoa were present in testes at 100 days of age. Pituitary secretion in vitro of LH and FSH in response to 1 pmol GnRH, as well as hypothalamic GnRH content, rose to peaks at 50 and 80 days of age respectively in animals exposed to long photoperiods. There was no change in pituitary secretion of FSH in response to GnRH stimulation in animals from the short photoperiod. However, pituitary release of LH in response to 1 pmol GnRH rose to a peak at 80 days of age. Hypothalamic GnRH content rose to a peak at 50 days of age and then declined. The relationship between the hypothalamic GnRH and the sensitivity of the pituitary to GnRH stimulation is compatible with the idea that GnRH can mediate its own receptor numbers.     

Differential regulation of pituitary gonadotropin subunit messenger ribonucleic acid levels in photostimulated Siberian hamsters

FSH levels begin to rise 3-5 days after male Siberian hamsters are transferred from inhibitory short photoperiods to stimulatory long photoperiods. In contrast, LH levels do not increase for several weeks. This differential pattern of FSH and LH secretion represents one of the most profound in vivo examples of differential regulation of the gonadotropins. The present study was undertaken to characterize the molecular mechanisms controlling differential FSH and LH synthesis and secretion in photostimulated Siberian hamsters. First, we cloned species-specific cDNAs for the three gonadotropin subunits: the common alpha subunit and the unique FSHbeta and LHbeta subunits. All three subunits share high nucleotide and predicted amino acid sequence identity with the orthologous cDNAs from rats. We then used these new molecular probes to examine the gonadotropin subunit mRNA levels from pituitaries of short-day male hamsters transferred to long days for 2, 5, 7, 10, 15, or 20 days. Short-day (SD) and long-day (LD) controls remained in short and long days, respectively, from the time of weaning. We measured serum FSH and LH levels by RIA. FSHbeta, LHbeta, and alpha subunit mRNA levels were measured from individual pituitaries using a microlysate ribonuclease protection assay. Serum FSH and pituitary FSHbeta mRNA levels changed similarly following long-day transfer. Both were significantly elevated after five long days (2.3- and 3.6-fold, respectively; P < 0.02) and declined thereafter, but they remained above SD control values through 20 long days. Alpha subunit mRNA levels also increased significantly relative to SD control values (maximum 2-fold increase after seven long days; P < 0.03), although to a lesser extent than FSHbeta. Neither serum LH nor pituitary LHbeta mRNA levels changed significantly following long-day transfer. The results indicate that long-day-associated increases in serum FSH levels in Siberian hamsters reflect an underlying increase in pituitary FSHbeta and alpha subunit mRNA accumulation.     

Effects of short photoperiod on the ability of golden hamster pituitaries to secrete prolactin and gonadotropins in vitro

Transfer of male golden (Syrian) hamsters from a 14L:10D (light:dark) to a 5L:19D photoperiod induced significant changes in pituitary function tested in vitro. Within 27 days after transfer to a 5L:19D photoperiod, basal prolactin (Prl) release was significantly depressed and response to dopamine (DA) was significantly enhanced as compared to Prl release by pituitaries from 14L: 10D hamsters. Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) release tended to be depressed after 9 or 27 days of 5L:19D exposure, but the effect was not significant. After 77 days of 5L:19D exposure, Prl release was further suppressed, while FSH release surpassed that seen in 14L:10D pituitaries. In vitro FSH response to luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) was also enhanced at this time. After 15 weeks of exposure to a short photoperiod, FSH secretion was still elevated above control levels, but Prl release and Prl response to DA were no longer different from that of 14L: 10D controls. Secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) in vitro, either basal or LHRH stimulated, was not affected by photoperiod at any time tested. From these results, we conclude that short photoperiod exposure does not reduce the pituitary's ability to secrete LH or FSH, although secretion of Prl is severely attenuated.     

The plant metabolite 6-methoxybenzoxazolinone interacts with follicle-stimulating hormone to enhance ovarian growth

6-Methoxybenzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) is a novel plant metabolite that enhances reproductive status in vertebrate consumers while it inhibits insect, fungal, and bacterial infestation of the plant. Ovaries of prepubertal rats show a dose response to increasing amounts of 6-MBOA.administered in Silastic capsule implants. Ovaries increased in size in response to capsules with 0.5-3.0 cm exposed surface area of 6-MBOA, whereas larger capsules (6 cm 6-MBOA) had no effect. Removal of the pituitary in both prepubertal and mature rats eliminated the stimulatory influence of 6-MBOA. In hypophysectomized animals treated with diethylstibestrol implants, 6-MBOA did not affect ovarian weight and no animals ovulated. Administration of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) increased ovarian weight and stimulated production of ova, and FSH combined with 6-MBOA resulted in larger ovaries that released more ova. 6-MBOA also enhanced ovarian growth in intact prepubertal animals treated with pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin. These results show that 6-MBOA has the ability to interact with FSH to stimulate follicular development and increase ovulation. Non-steroidal plant compounds may have a significant impact on the reproductive patterns of wild animal populations.     

Termination of gonadal refractoriness in Turkish hamsters, Mesocricetus brandti

The Turkish hamster (Mesocricetus brandti) is a photoperiodic species. In this investigation, we characterized the photoperiodic requirements for termination of gonadal refractoriness, defined as the inability of the animal to respond to short-day treatment with gonadal regression. Paired testes weights were reduced to less than 20% of their original weight by 10 wk of 12L:12D treatment. This was followed by spontaneous testicular recrudescence (completed by Week 25 of 12L:12D treatment), the overt indication of refractoriness to short photoperiods. Next, the period of long-day exposure sufficient for termination of refractoriness was determined. Refractory males were exposed to 16L:8D for 5 to 20 wk. Ten weeks of 16L:8D treatment was enough for the animals to regain the sensitivity to a second challenge of 12L:12D treatment. Fifteen weeks of 20L:4D or 16L:8D terminated refractoriness in female Turkish hamsters; 20L:4D therefore was not interpreted as a short day by refractory hamsters. This was unexpected because in photosensitive animals this photoperiod acts like a short day, causing gonadal regression. These results suggest that Turkish hamsters are similar to Syrian hamsters in that both species require two or more months of long days in summer to recover sensitivity to the short days of the following fall.     

Testosterone and photoperiod interact to regulate locomotor activity in male hamsters

Testicular size, plasma testosterone levels, copulatory behavior, and daily locomotor activity are reduced in male hamsters after 10 weeks of exposure to short days. The role of testosterone in the short day-induced decline in locomotor activity was investigated, determining whether or not photoperiod could alter the effect of testosterone on activity. Castrated adult hamsters were allowed to acclimate to running wheels (wired to digital counters) and then were kept on either long (L:D 14:10) or short (L:D 6:18) days for 60 days. On Day 60, half of the animals on each light cycle were implanted with 12-mm-long testosterone-filled Silastic capsules; half received empty capsules. Digital counting of wheel-running activity continued for another 140 days. Blood samples taken on Day 200 confirmed L:D 14:10 and L:D 6:18 testosterone-treated hamsters had equivalent plasma testosterone levels. After an initial decline in activity, L:D 14:10 animals exhibited a progressive rise in mean running activity (from ~2000 to ~5000 wheel revolutions per day) through 100 days after the initiation of testosterone treatment. In contrast, activity levels in testosterone-treated L:D 6:18 animals remained uniform (~2000 wheel revolutions per day) during this time, indicating exposure to short days rendered the hamsters less sensitive to the stimulatory effect of testosterone on activity. Of further interest was a marked increase in activity after 160–200 short days in animals treated with either testosterone-filled or empty capsules. It appears the total amount of daily locomotor activity in the hamster is modulated by circulating testosterone levels in a manner which is dependent upon the environmental photoperiod.     

Hormonal consequences of subcutaneous 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone pellets or injections in prepubertal male and female rats

Prepubertal 27-day-old female rats maintained in a 14L:10D cycle (lights on 06:00 h) were injected s.c. at 13:00 h with saline or 2, 20 or 200 micrograms 6-methoxy-2-benzoxazolinone (6-MBOA) and killed 25-27 h later. No significant differences in body, pituitary or ovarian weight were noted. Differences in uterine weight (mg/100 g body weight) and in circulating free thyroxine index fit the pattern of a reduction after the lower doses with reversal of this effect after the highest dose. A dose-related rise in plasma prolactin concentration was accompanied by a significant increase in pituitary prolactin at the lowest (2 micrograms) dose. When 27-day-old prepubertal male and female rats maintained in a 14L:10D cycle were implanted with a beeswax pellet or a wax pellet that contained 100 micrograms or 1 mg 6-MBOA and killed 3 days later between 14:00 and 16:00 h, body and absolute ventral prostate weights (but not weights of other accessory organs, testes or relative ventral prostate weights) in males were lower. Pituitary (but not plasma) prolactin concentrations were higher after the lower dose compared to the controls; pituitary and plasma values of LH and FSH were unchanged. In females, reproductive variables were unchanged except for a reduction of pituitary prolactin after the 1 mg dose. Triiodothyronine and its free index were elevated after the higher dose in males and the lower dose in females. The free thyroxine index appeared raised after the larger dose only in males.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Estrogen modifies the circadian timing and amplitude of the luteinizing hormone surge in female hamsters exposed to short photoperiods

LH surges occur 3 h later in intact anovulatory hamsters exposed to nonstimulatory photoperiods (6L:18D) for 8 wk than the proestrous LH surges from the same hamsters housed in 6L:18D for 3 weeks. In ovariectomized hamsters housed in 6L:18D for 3 wk, the LH surge was observed at the same time of day as in intact anovulatory hamsters at 8 wk. Implanting Silastic capsules containing estradiol benzoate (EB) advanced the timing of the daily surge of LH in ovariectomized hamsters housed in 6L:18D for 8 wk. EB also affected the magnitude of the LH surge in hamsters housed in 6L:18D for 8 wk. Two days after receiving EB implants, daily LH surges in anovulatory hamsters were suppressed by 75% and in ovariectomized "regressed" hamsters by 37%. This difference between groups was probably due to ovarian progesterone in intact animals. Estrogen is not required for LH surges in anovulatory hamsters but suppresses LH release when administered exogenously. The delay in the timing of the LH surge in anovulatory hamsters may result from the decline in estrogen resulting from short photoperiod exposure.     

Pituitary and gonadal function in hypogonadotrophic hypogonadal (hpg) mice bearing hypothalamic implants

GnRH receptor values are 30-50% of normal in pituitaries of hpg male mice, and testicular LH receptors only 8% of normal (160.4 +/- 17.6 and 2013 +/- 208.1 fmol/testis respectively). In male hpg mice bearing fetal preoptic area (POA) hypothalamic implants for 10 days there was no change in pituitary GnRH receptors, pituitary gonadotrophin content, or seminal vesicle weight. However, testicular weights and LH receptors were doubled in 4/10 mice and 2 had increased serum FSH levels. Between 26 and 40 days after implantation pituitary GnRH receptors and pituitary LH increased to normal male levels, although at 40 days serum and pituitary FSH concentrations had reached only 50% of normal values. Testicular and seminal vesicle weights increased more than 10-fold by 40 days after implantation and LH receptors to 70% of normal. In hpg female mice bearing hypothalamic implants for 30-256 days pituitary gonadotrophin concentrations were normal, even though GnRH receptors reached only 60% of normal values (6.18 +/- 0.4 and 9.8 +/- 0.4 fmol/pituitary respectively). Serum FSH was substantially increased from values of less than 30 ng/ml in hpg mice to within the normal female range in hypothalamic implant recipients. Ovarian and uterine weights increased after hypothalamic grafting from only 4-5% to over 74% of normal values. LH receptors increased from 6.5 +/- 1.3 fmol/ovary for hpg mice to 566.9 +/- 39.2 fmol/ovary for implant recipients. Vaginal opening occurred about 23 days after implantation and these animals displayed prolonged periods of oestrus.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Photoperiodic regulation of pulsatile luteinizing hormone secretion and adenohypophyseal gene expression in female golden hamsters.

LH concentrations were measured in serum collected at 10-min intervals from chronically ovariectomized female Syrian hamsters that had been maintained for 9 wk in stimulatory (long) or inhibitory (short) photoperiods. Short days reduced the number of detectable LH pulses during both the morning and the afternoon. Most short-day hamsters experienced a gradual afternoon rise in serum LH concentrations; this rise was not composed of multiple pulses. In separate groups of similarly treated hamsters, pituitary LH-beta mRNA abundance was significantly reduced by short-day exposure at both times of day even though serum LH concentrations rose in the afternoon. Estradiol treatment induced an afternoon surge of serum LH in both photoperiods, and eliminated the effect of photoperiod on LH-beta mRNA abundance in the afternoon. Serum prolactin (PRL) concentrations were not consistently influenced by day length in castrated hamsters with or without estrogen treatment, but PRL mRNA abundance was significantly suppressed by short-day exposure in all groups. The results indicate that day length exerts profound steroid-independent effects upon hypophyseal gene expression, and that the regulation of LH-beta mRNA abundance may be due to photoperiodic control of the neural GnRH pulse generator.     

Neuroendocrine changes in male hamsters following photostimulation

Transfer of gonadally regressed male golden hamsters from a short (5 L:19 D) to a stimulatory (14 L:10 D) photoperiod elicits, within 24 hr, significant changes in hypothalamic dopamine, serotonin, and possibly norepinephrine metabolism. Hypothalamic LHRH content was significantly elevated in short-photoperiod animals, but within 24 hr of transfer to a 14:10 photoperiod, LHRH declined to levels not different from those in hamsters maintained continuously in a long photoperiod. Plasma FSH levels were also significantly elevated within 24 hr of transfer, but increases in plasma LH were somewhat slower. Chronic treatment with the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor, alpha-methyl tyrosine (alpha MPT), which inhibits catecholamine synthesis, blocked the effect of a stimulatory photoperiod on plasma FSH levels, while treatment of 5:19 hamsters with the catecholamine precursor, L-dopa, mimicked the effects of photostimulation on plasma FSH levels. Testicular weights were not affected by alpha MPT or L-dopa treatment for 1 week. From these data, it appears that endocrine events associated with photoperiod-induced testicular recrudescence are under the control of hypothalamic neurotransmitters.