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Plasma β-endorphin and LH during prolonged hypoglycaemia in ewes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 November 2017

A.M.X. Eloy
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
R.G. Rodway
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Physiology and Nutrition University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT
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Extract

Normal reproductive function in female animals can be drastically impaired by a variety of stressful stimuli. For example, undernutrition and hypoglycaemia in sheep have been shown to suppress pulsatile LH secretion and to reduce the number of ewes showing pre-ovulatory LH peaks (Crump and Rodway 1986, Clarke et al. 1990). Similar stresses are also known to cause release of the opioid peptide β-endorphin into the circulation. Opioids are well-known to have a central inhibitory effect on LH release, although whether the elevated plasma concentrations of these peptides have any effect on LH secretion is unclear. The present study investigated the affect of insulin-induced hypoglycaemia on plasma concentrations of β-endorphin and LH.

Type
Reproduction
Copyright
Copyright © The British Society of Animal Production 1993

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References

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