Abstract
The role of white adipose tissue in development of the reproductive apparatus of male golden-mantled ground squirrels was assessed by surgical removal of fat (lipectomy) immediately prior to onset of hibernation or by manipulation of fat levels through food restriction for 5 wk preceding hibernation. Animals then were maintained without food at 6 degrees C, and they hibernated from November 1983 until April 1984. At that time, blood plasma was assayed for hormone levels, and body mass, body composition, and masses of the testes and seminal vesicle-prostate complex were determined. At autopsy, testes and sexual accessory organs were heavier in Control squirrels than in Food-Restricted or Lipectomized (LIPX) animals. Paired-testes mass was positively correlated with body mass. Testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels were uniformly low in animals sampled during torpor, but were elevated in 2 animals that had regained the euthermic state. The Food-Restricted animals spent more time in torpor than did the other two groups, and the percentage of decrease in body mass over the hibernation season was less for Food-Restricted than for LIPX or Control animals. Adequate lipid stores may be essential for the normal development of the reproductive apparatus of male ground squirrels. In the field, animals with insufficient fat stores may forego reproduction and thereby conserve energy for survival.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
