Gonadotropins in Lactating Sows Exposed to Long or Short Days during Pregnancy and Lactation: Serum Concentrations and Ovarian Receptors1

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the influence of day length on gonadotropin profiles and the expression of their ovarian receptors in lactating sows. Primiparous Large White gilts were exposed to either a gradual increase (from 12 to 16 h/day, LONG treatment, n = 13) or decrease (from 12 to 8 h/day, SHORT treatment, n = 12) in photoperiod during gestation. Weaning occurred at Day 21 of lactation. All 4 sows that were submitted to the SHORT light duration and checked for postpartum estrus demonstrated an estrus by 10 days postwearing in contrast to 2 of 5 sows submitted to the LONG light duration (p < 0.05). In the remaining 16 sows, day length had no significant effect on the number of LH pulses or on mean or basal concentrations of gonadotropins (FSH and LH) or estradiol-17 beta measured at Day 20 of lactation. Ovarian receptors for gonadotropins and prolactin (PRL) and their mRNA were measured through use of receptor-binding and slot-blot analyses, respectively, at Day 21 of lactation in these 16 sows. ALONG photoperiod duration had no influence on receptor number, binding or affinity, but it significantly increased LH receptor mRNA levels (p < 0.05). However, FSH receptor mRNA levels were similar in the two groups of sows. Plasma LH concentration was positively related to LH and FSH receptor content but not to their cognate mRNA levels. Plasma concentration of FSH was positively related to the level of its own receptor mRNA as well as to that of the PRL receptor mRNA. Although the LONG day length may have delayed the return to estrus, there was no effect on gonadotropin secretion. Our results show an effect of photoperiod only on the level of LH receptor mRNA. We suggest that not all transcripts of the LH receptor are translated and that nontranslatable mRNA accumulate in ovaries of sows exhibiting delayed estrus.