Effect of pinealectomy on the plasma concentrations of prolactin, cortisol and testosterone in sheep in short and skeleton long photoperiods.

Two experiments were carried out to investigate the effects of pinealectomy on the responses of prolactin, cortisol and testosterone to skeleton long photoperiods (7 h light: 10 h darkness: 1 h light: 6 h darkness; 7L: 10D: 1L: 6D) compared with short photoperiods (8L: 16D) in lambs. The first experiment included 23 female Suffolk cross sheep aged 10 months, of which six were pinealectomized. The skeleton long photoperiod significantly increased plasma levels of prolactin but this was blocked by pinealectomy; there was a peak around dusk and a trough around dawn and at the time of the 1-h period of light. There was no effect of either photoperiod or pinealectomy on plasma levels of cortisol. Testosterone was not measured in this experiment. In the second experiment there were 12 intact males and 11 castrated males aged 3 months; six of the lambs in each group were pinealectomized. Prolactin was again greatly stimulated by skeleton long photoperiods and the effect was blocked by pinealectomy; there was a trough in plasma prolactin at dawn in all groups. In addition, castration increased prolactin levels on two of the four sampling days. Plasma cortisol concentrations were significantly lower under skeleton long photoperiods and this was also blocked by pinealectomy; there was no effect of castration. Testosterone was much higher in intact males. After 10 weeks of exposure, skeleton long photoperiods produced significantly lower concentrations than short photoperiods in the intact ram with pineal glands but not in those which were pinealectomized.