Bovine prolactin, TSH, T and T concentrations as affected by tall fescue summer toxicosis and temperature.

Serum concentrations of prolactin (PRL), thyrotropin (TSH), thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) were compared between Holstein calves fed a toxic fescue (G1-307) and Holstein calves fed a less toxic fescue (G1-306) at one of three environmental temperatures (low, 10 to 13 C; medium, 21 to 23 C; high, 34 to 35 C). Three calves were assigned to each treatment combination, and hormone concentrations were determined before (basal) and after thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was injected at 15 microgram/100 kg body weight via jugular cannula. Calves fed the toxic G1-307 had lower basal PRL concentrations than those fed G1-306 (1.8 +/- .1 vs 6.0 +/- 1.2 ng/ml). Increasing ambient temperature increased basal PRL levels in calves fed G1-306 (i.e., low [2.3 +/- .3] < medium [3.6 +/- .9] < high [12.1 +/- 1.3 ng/ml]) but not in calves fed G1-307 (i.e. low [1.8 +/- .1] = medium [2.0 +/- .1] = high [1.6 +/- .1]). Similarly, after TRH injection, PRL release was greater in calves fed the less toxic G1-306 (35.7 +/- 5.2 ng/ml) than in those fed G1-307 (5.6 +/- .6 ng/ml) and was positively affected by temperature (i.e., low [6.9 +/- 1.2] < medium [18.8 +/- 5.6] < high [36.3 +/- 5.9 ng/ml]). In contrast, basal and TRH-induced TSH concentrations were unaffected by temperature or fescue. However, T3 (time 0) was inversely related to temperature (1.06 +/- .1, 1.40 +/- .1 and 1.87 +/- .2 ng/ml for high, medium and low temperature, respectively). After TRH injections, T3 increased linearly and at the same rate (.007 ng/ml/min) at all temperatures, but T4 concentrations increased only in low temperature groups. Neither T4 nor T3 concentrations were affected by forage fed. We conclude that some factor(s) in toxic fescue inhibits PRL secretion, especially at high temperature, an environmental condition closely associated with fescue summer toxicosis in cattle. Increased body temperature and respiration rates associated with fescue summer toxicosis apparently are not mediated by TSH or thyroid hormone secretion.