Gonadotrophin inhibitory hormone depresses gonadotrophin alpha and follicle-stimulating hormone beta subunit expression in the pituitary of the domestic chicken

N A Ciccone, I C Dunn, T Boswell, K Tsutsui, T Ubuka, K Ukena, P J Sharp

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Studies performed in vitro suggest that a novel 12 amino acid RF amide peptide, isolated from the quail hypothalamus, is a gonadotrophin inhibitory hormone (GnIH). The aim of the present study was to investigate this hypothesis in the domestic chicken. Injections of GnIH into nest-deprived incubating hens failed to depress the concentration of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH). Addition of GnIH to short-term (120 min) cultures of diced pituitary glands from adult cockerels depressed follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and LH release and depressed common alpha and FSHbeta gonadotrophin subunit mRNAs, with no effect on LHbeta subunit mRNA. Hypothalamic GnIH mRNA was higher in incubating (out-of-lay) than in laying hens, but there was no significant difference in the amount of hypothalamic GnIH mRNA in out-of-lay and laying broiler breeder hens at the end of a laying year. It is concluded that avian GnIH may play a role in controlling gonadotrophin synthesis and associated constitutive release in the domestic chicken.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)999-1006
Number of pages8
JournalJournal of Neuroendocrinology
Volume16
Issue number12
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2004

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