Changes in basal hypothalamic chicken gonadotropin-releasing hormone-I and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide associated with a photo-induced cycle in gonadal maturation and prolactin secretion in intact and thyroidectomized starlings (Sturnus vulgaris)

A. Dawson*, R. T. Talbot, I. C. Dunn, P. J. Sharp

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Chicken gonadotropin-releasing hormone-I (GnRH-1) and the avian prolactin-releasing hormone, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), were measured in the basal hypothalamus in male starlings during photo-induced gonadal growth and the subsequent development and maintenance of reproductive photorefractoriness. Comparisons were made with thyroidectomized birds, which maintain breeding condition irrespective of changes in photoperiod. In intact birds, basal hypothalamic GnRH-1 increased four-fold after photostimulation and then decreased 115-fold over 12 weeks to values characteristic of long-term photorefractoriness. Pituitary and plasma prolactin increased after photostimulation, reaching peak values when the testes were regressing, and returned to low values in long-term photorefractory birds. Basal hypothalamic VIP did not change after photostimulation in intact birds. In photostimulated thyroidectomized birds, values for basal hypothalamic GnRH-1 and VIP, and for pituitary and plasma prolactin, remained no different to those of nonphotostimulated intact birds. These observations confirm that reproductive photorefractoriness is related to a decrease in hypothalamic GnRH-I. However, photorefractoriness in terms of prolactin secretion is not similarly related to a decrease in basal hypothalamic VIP. The mechanisms responsible for the decrease in prolactin in long-term photorefractory birds and for the total lack of photoperiodic responses in thyroidectomized birds remain unresolved.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)533-539
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Neuroendocrinology
Volume14
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 24 Jun 2002

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • GnRH
  • Photorefractoriness
  • Prolactin
  • Thyroidectomy
  • VIP

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