The effects of short day exposure on seasonal and circadian reproductive rhythms in male golden hamsters

Abstract

Male golden hamsters were exposed to long (LD 14: 10) or short (LD 10:14) photoperiods (Groups LP and SP, respectively) and tested 4 times over a 30-week period. At each test time, animals were tested twice, once in their subjective night and once in their subjective day. During each test animals were observed for approach and copulatory behaviors in response to hormonally primed receptive females. To determine gonadal condition, changes in testes size and sperm production over weeks in SP or LP condition were also measured. Results show that SP conditions induce gonadal regression (at 9 weeks) and recrudescence (at 17 weeks); gonadal function was fully restored by 21 weeks in SP. This pattern is mirrored by a decline in copulatory behaviors during regression, followed by a resumption of sexual behaviors during gonadal recrudescence. In contrast, approach measures showed an inverse pattern; males showed the highest level of approach behaviors at week 13, during gonadal quiescence. Short day conditions also induced changes in the circadian patterning of copulatory behaviors: whereas LP animals always showed more mounts, intromissions and ejaculations in the dark than in the light, between 1 to 13 weeks in short day conditions, SP animals show equal levels of copulatory behavior in the dark and in the light. At the time of gonadal recrudescence, SP animals start to show circadian patterns of sexual behaviors comparable to LP animals. These differences were not found for approach behaviors. The relationship between the different behavioral systems and physiological measures, and the effects on these of short day exposure are discussed.