Effect of estradiol-17β on follicle-stimulating hormone secretion and egg-laying performance of Japanese quail

The aim of this study was to measure the effect of estradiol-17β (E₂) injection on follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) secretion and egg-laying performance of Japanese quail. Female Japanese quail were housed in cages and fed ad libitum. After a 7-day adaptation period, the birds were randomly assigned to three groups, that is, one control group and two test groups. The birds were weighed, before every injection. The control group was subcutaneously injected with 0.2 ml sesame oil–ethanol mixture, whereas test groups were injected, twice in a week, with 0.2 ml sesame oil–ethanol mixture containing 0.1 or 0.2 mg E₂ along the study. One day after the first injection, egg number, egg weight, eggshell strength and food conception were daily recorded. On the last day of the experiment, the birds were injected and 3 h later seven birds from each group were randomly selected for bleeding. Blood samples (2 ml/bird) were collected from the jugular vein for the measurements of serum concentrations of E₂, FSH, calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P). E₂ injection did not cause any significant changes in serum FSH concentrations, daily egg laid/bird, food conception/bird, serum concentrations of the Ca and the P. Egg weight was significantly increased in the 0.1 mg E₂-injected group as compared with the control and 0.2 mg E₂-injected groups. Eggshell strength in the 0.2 mg E₂-injected group was significantly high as compared with the control, whereas the difference between the 0.1 mg E₂- and 0.2 mg E₂-injected groups was not statistically important. These results show that serum FSH concentration was not increased even when slightly suppressed by subcutaneous injection of 0.1 or 0.2 mg E₂. Different doses of E₂ have different functions. The increase in BWs in the 0.1 mg E₂-injected group was a result of the dose effect, which probably increased growth hormone secretion from the pituitary or IGF-1 synthesis from the liver or both. The dose, 0.2 mg E₂, was ineffective in increasing the BW, but it significantly increased eggshell strength probably via the increase in Ca and P utilizations.