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Differential Effects of Photoperiodic History on the Responses of Gonadotrophins and Prolactin to Intermediate Daylengths in the Male Syrian Hamster

Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3DY, England

A.P. Walker

Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3DY, England

J.B. Powers

Department of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37240

J. Hutchison

AFRC Institute for Animal Physiology and Genetics, Babraham, Cambridge, England

E.A. Steel

MRC Unit on Development and Integration of Behaviour, Madingley, Cambridge, England

J. Herbert

Department of Anatomy, University of Cambridge, Downing St., Cambridge CB2 3DY, England

The effect of photoperiodic history on the neuroendocrine response to intermediate daylengths (11-13.5 hr of light) was investigated in the male Syrian hamster. The duration of the nocturnal peak of pineal melatonin content was inversely proportional to photoperiod and independent of photoperiodic history. Serum levels of prolactin were lower in animals ex posed to shorter photoperiods. Photoperiodic history had little effect on the response of serum prolactin to intermediate daylengths. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) concentrations were also lower in shorter photoperiods, but in addition were sensitive to the direction of photo periodic change, so that a single photoperiod could be interpreted as either stimulatory or inhibitory to LH secretion. This effect of photoperiodic history was expressed at intermediate photoperiods with 12-13.5 hr of light. The sensitivity of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels to photoperiodic history was masked by an early onset of photorefractoriness. Testicular size and serum testosterone levels revealed weaker effects of photoperiodic his tory; these were attributed to the dissociation between gonadotrophin and prolactin secretion induced by intermediate daylengths. The contrasting effects of photoperiodic history on the secretion of LH and prolactin may represent the expression of multiple photoperiodic time- measuring systems.

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