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PubMed1983

Importance of retinal photoreceptors to the photoperiodic control of seasonal breeding in the ewe.

Two experiments were performed to determine whether the eyes are necessary for photoperiodic control of reproduction in ewes. In the first, intact and estradiol-treated ovariectomized (OVX + E) ewes were housed in each of 2 photoperiod-controlled rooms with a vasectomized ram and subjected to 90-day alternations between long and short days. Prior to blinding, long days initiated anestrus in intact ewes and a suppression of serum luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in OVX + E ewes; short days caused onset of estrous cycles and an increase in LH levels in the intact and OVX + E ewes, respectively. After 1.5 years of such photoperiodic control, all ewes were blinded by bilateral orbital enucleation. Photoperiodic control was lost following blinding, but circannual alternations between cyclicity and anestrus or high and low LH levels, were maintained in most ewes for the remaining 2.5 years of the study. In one group of OVX + E ewes, serum LH levels remained synchronized to the 90-day shifts in photoperiod for about 1 year after blinding. Once the sighted ram was removed from the room, however, the 90-day rhythm in LH disappeared and a circannual pattern of LH became evident, suggesting that blind ewes may receive photoperiodic information from a sighted ram. This possibility was supported by the results of the second experiment in which 12 additional OVX + E ewes were blinded and exposed to 90 long days and 90 short days in the absence of a sighted ram. In these ewes, serum LH levels were not controlled by the changes in photoperiod. These results are consistent with the following conclusions: 1) the eyes are necessary for perception of photoperiod in the ewe and 2) ewes have an endogenous circannual rhythm of reproduction and/or they can be controlled by other environmental signals in the absence of photoperiodic input. Further, the results lead to the hypothesis that blind ewes can receive photoperiodic information indirectly from a sighted ram.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Long day photoperiods and temperature of 20 degrees C induce spermatogenesis in blinded and non-blinded marbled newts during the period of testicular quiescence.

Adult male marbled newts (Triturus marmoratus) were collected at the end of the spermatogenesis period and exposed to different photoperiods (natural-daylength-simulated photoperiod, total darkness, 8L:16D, 12L:12D, 16L:8D, and continuous light) for 3 mo. Temperature was maintained at 20 degrees C. Two additional groups of newts were blinded and exposed to either the natural-simulated photoperiod and to 16 h of light per day respectively. Quantitative histologic studies on testicular development and germ cell volume per testis were performed. The newts captured in the field at the beginning (initial controls) or at the end of the experiments (final controls) were in the period of testicular quiescence. Newts kept in total darkness or exposed to a short photoperiod (8L:16D) showed germ cell development up to primary spermatocytes, whereas germ cell development in the newts exposed to long photoperiods (12L:12D or 16L:8D) progressed to elongated spermatids. The newts exposed either to intermediate photoperiods (natural-simulated photoperiod) or to constant light showed an intermediate degree of germ cell development (up to round spermatids). No significant differences between non-blinded and blinded animals were found. These results suggest that (1) mild temperature initiates testicular development in the period of testicular quiescence, (2) long photoperiods associated with mild temperatures produce spermatogenesis in this period, (3) complete darkness or constant light are less effective than some intermediate photoperiod, and (4) the effect of photoperiod on testicular function in newts is not related to ocular photoreception.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Photoperiodic regulation of growth: a photosensitive phase during light-dark cycle.

Growth and performance of 72 young ram lambs were evaluated for susceptibility to exposure to three different photoperiods. Lambs were penned in groups of two and exposed to either short (8L:16D), long (16L:8D), or split (7L:9D:1L:7D) photoperiods. Lambs exposed to 16L:8D and 7L:9D:1L:7D photoperiods ate more feed (P less than 0.01), gained weight more rapidly (P less than 0.01), and required less feed per unit gain (P less than 0.01) than did lambs exposed to the 8L:16D photoperiod. Final weight and carcass weight were increased (P less than 0.01) as a result of exposure to 16L:8D and 7L:9D:1L:7D photoperiods; however, carcass attributes were not affected. Lambs exposed to the 7L:9D:1L:7D photoperiod had elevated prolactin concentrations that generally paralleled the prolactin profiles of lambs exposed to the 16L:8D photoperiod; however, concentrations of luteinizing hormone and testosterone were not affected by photoperiod. Lambs exhibited a daily feed-intake rhythm that was closely associated with daily photoperiod. These rhythms could account in part for the increased feed intake and performance of lambs exposed to 16L:8D and 7L:9D:1L:7D photoperiods. From these results, we conclude that 1) light is an important Zeitgeber for the regulation of feed intake, prolactin secretion, and growth rate in young lambs, and 2) a photosensitive phase exists for these functions during the light-dark cycle in sheep.

Aging↗

PubMed1988

Influence of melatonin on the testicular regression induced by subcutaneous testosterone pellets in male rats kept in long or short photoperiod.

Daily afternoon injections of 25 micrograms melatonin for 12 weeks had no effect on testicular weights of male rats kept in long photoperiod (14L:10D); similarly, exposure of rats to short photoperiod (2L:22D) had no effect on gonadal weight. However, rats maintained in a long or short photoperiod and implanted every 2 weeks with a 15 mm Silastic pellet containing testosterone showed a significant reduction in testicular weight; this effect was more pronounced in rats exposed to a short photoperiod. Melatonin injections in testosterone-treated rats in a long photoperiod exacerbated the inhibitory effects of testosterone alone. Subcutaneous 2-weekly implants of a beeswax pellet containing 1 mg melatonin reversed the effects of the melatonin injections on relative testicular weights but not those due to short photoperiod exposure. Testosterone implants significantly reduced pituitary LH values in long and short photoperiod-exposed animals, more particularly in those exposed to short photoperiod. Melatonin injections alone or in combination with melatonin pellets did not further exaggerate the depression in pituitary LH due to testosterone alone in long photoperiod-exposed animals; similarly melatonin pellets did not reverse the depression in pituitary LH observed. No significant differences in plasma prolactin concentrations or in thyroxine concentrations or free thyroxine index were observed after any combination of treatments. We therefore suggest that the effects observed with short photoperiod may be due to melatonin.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

The role of photoperiod on the initiation of the breeding season of the brushtail possum (Trichosurus vulpecula).

The role of photoperiod on the initiation of the breeding season of brushtail possums was investigated in possums housed in three light regimens: a short-day, a natural and a long-day photoperiod. Seven possums were housed in a natural photoperiod. Four possums were transferred to a short-day photoperiod (10 h light, 14 h dark) and eight possums to a long-day photoperiod (14 h light, 10 h dark) on 22 November, when the daylength was 13.34 h. The first rises in plasma progesterone concentrations were observed on 9 January +/- 9 days (n = 4), 11 March +/- 6 days (n = 7) and 6 May +/- 6 days (n = 8), for possums held in short-day, natural or long-day photoperiods respectively. Similarly, births were observed on 12 January and 14 February in the short-day group, from 3 March to 8 May for the natural photoperiod group, and from 5 May to 8 August for the long-day group. These results suggest that photoperiod is important in the timing of the breeding season. However, annual breeding will commence in a nonstimulatory long-day photoperiod. Thus a long-day photoperiod does not prevent breeding activity.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Roles of photoperiod and testosterone in seasonal plasticity of the avian song control system.

The song control nuclei of songbirds undergo pronounced seasonal changes in size and neuronal attributes. The mechanisms by which seasonal changes in environmental variables such as photoperiod mediate seasonal changes in these brain regions are not known. Manipulations of photoperiod and/or testosterone in captive songbirds induce seasonal changes in the size of song nuclei comparable to those observed in wild songbirds. It is unclear, however, whether the effects of photoperiod on the song nuclei are mediated by testosterone or by steroid-independent mechanisms. We independently manipulated photoperiod and testosterone in castrated male Gambel's white-crowned sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) to determine the contributions of steroid-dependent and -independent actions of photoperiod to seasonal changes in the size and neuronal attributes of song nuclei. Testosterone implants increased the size of several song nuclei, regardless of photoperiod. Photoperiod exerted small but significant steroid-independent effects on the volume of the higher vocal center and the size of neurons in the robust nucleus of the archistriatum. Photoperiod also modulated the effect of testosterone on the size of area X; testosterone treatment had a more pronounced effect on the size of area X on short days than on long days. These results suggest that although testosterone is the primary factor mediating seasonal changes in neural attributes of the song nuclei, photoperiod may act via mechanisms that are independent of steroid levels to supplement or modulate the actions of testosterone.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Early photoperiod history and short-day responsiveness in Siberian hamsters.

Siberian hamsters exhibit seasonal, photoperiod influenced cycles of reproductive activity, body size, pelage characteristics, and thermoregulatory behavior. Laboratory populations generally exhibit inter-individual variability in expression of photoperiod responsiveness, with a subset of individuals that fail to show the species typical responses to short photoperiod. This variability is partly explained by a genetic component, as it has been possible to increase the number of short-day nonresponders by artificial selection. Responsiveness to short photoperiod is also substantially influenced by photoperiod history in this species; hamsters that have been raised under long (16L) or very long (18L) day lengths are less likely to exhibit winter-type responses to short days as compared to hamsters raised under an intermediate (14L) day length. In the present experiment, we examined effects of age and early photoperiod history in a strain of Siberian hamsters that had been selected for short-day nonresponsiveness. Hamsters transferred into short photoperiod on the day of birth were uniform in exhibiting winter-type responses. However, hamsters raised until 25 days of age in either continuous illumination or in 16L exhibited variation in responsiveness when subsequently moved into short photoperiod. We conclude that virtually all hamsters of the short-day nonresponsive strain are born responsive to short days. Subsequent development of resistance to potential short day effects is dependent on age and/or photoperiod history.

Analysis of Variance↗

PubMed1999

Effects of photoperiod on salmon GnRH mRNA levels in brain of castrated underyearling precocious male masu salmon.

Previous studies have suggested that activation of salmon gonadotropin-releasing hormone (sGnRH)-producing neurons is induced by the combined effects of photoperiod and steroid hormones in underyearling males of the masu salmon, Oncorhynchus masou. The present study further assesses the effects of photoperiod and steroid hormones on sGnRH synthetic activity and examines the changes in sGnRH mRNA levels in the brains of castrated underyearling precocious male masu salmon by manipulating the photoperiod for 60 days from August through October. In castrated males in which plasma testosterone levels decreased to low levels, sGnRH mRNA levels in the preoptic area (POA) increased under a short photoperiod (8L-16D), whereas they remained at low levels under a long photoperiod (16L-8D) for a 2-month duration. In sham-operated males, sGnRH mRNA levels in the ventral telencephalon and those in the POA increased in October with testicular maturation even under a long photoperiod with a delay of 1 month compared with the short photoperiod group. These results suggest that preoptic sGnRH-producing neurons receive short photoperiodic signals and that either short photoperiod or steroid hormone secretion is required for the activation of sGnRH synthesis in underyearling precocious male masu salmon.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Interactive effects of temperature and photoperiod on the daily activity and energy metabolism of pouched mice (Saccostomus campestris: Cricetidae) from southern Africa.

The daily activity and energy metabolism of pouched mice (Saccostomus compestris) from two localities in southern Africa was examined following warm (25 degrees C) and cold (10 degrees C) acclimation under long (LD 14:10) and short (LD 10:14) photoperiod. There was no differential effect of photoperiod on the daily activity or metabolism of pouched mice from the two localities examined, which suggests that reported differences in photoresponsivity between these two populations were not the result of differences in daily organisation. Nevertheless, there was a significant increase in metabolism at 10 degrees C, irrespective of photoperiod, even though seven cold-acclimatized animals displayed bouts of spontaneous torpor and saved 16.4-36.2% of their daily energy expenditure. All but one of these bouts occurred under short photoperiod, which suggests that short photoperiod facilitated the expression of torpor and influenced the daily energy metabolism of these individuals. As expected for a nocturnal species, the amount of time spent active increased following acclimation to short photoperiod at 25 degrees C. However, there was a reduction in mean activity levels under short photoperiod at 10 degrees C, possibly because the stimulation of activity by short photoperiod was masked by a reduction in activity during bouts of spontaneous torpor. Cold temperature clearly had an overriding effect on the daily activity and metabolism of this species by necessitating an increase in metabolic heat production and eliciting spontaneous torpor which over-rode the effect of short photoperiod on activity at an ambient temperature of 10 degrees C.

Activity Cycles↗

PubMed1986

Utilization of potatoes for life support systems. II. The effects of temperature under 24-h and 12-h photoperiods.

The growth and tuberization of Norland potatoes were studied under five different temperatures and two photoperiods. Treatment levels included 12, 16, 20, 24, and 28 C with either a 24-h (continuous light) or a 12-h photoperiod at 400 micromoles m-2 s-1 PPF. Plants were grown in 6-liter containers and harvested at 56-days-age. Stem length increased with increasing temperature under both photoperiods. The highest tuber yield occurred at 16 C under the 24-h photoperiod (755 g/plant) and at 20 C under the 12-h photoperiod (460 g/plant). Little or no tuber formation occurred at 28 C under either photoperiod or at 24 C under continuous light. As with tuber yield, the highest total plant dry weights also occurred at 16 C under the 24-h photoperiod and at 20 C under the 12-h photoperiod. Harvest index (tuber dry weight to total dry weight ratio) decreased with increasing temperatures and with continuous light. Results indicate that good growth and tuberization can occur under continuous light, and that increasing the photoperiod form 12 to 24 h effectively decreased the optimal temperature for tuber formation from near 20 C to 16 C. Alternatively, the results imply that a cooler temperatures, the potato becomes less obligate for dark period stimulation of tuberization.

Biomass↗

PubMed2005

Existence of an extra-retinal and extra-pineal photoreceptive organ that regulates photoperiodism in gonadal development of an Osmerid teleost, ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis).

Ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) is an Osmerid teleost whose gonadal development exhibits clear photoperiodism: it is stimulated and prevented under short and long photoperiod, respectively. However, the photoreceptor organ involved in this process remains to be identified. In the present study, we examined whether gonads of ophthalmectomized (Ex) and pinealectomized (Px) ayu respond to short photoperiod to test whether photoreceptors other than lateral eyes and pineal complex are involved in the photoperiodic response of gonadal development. Gonadosomatic index (GSI) and plasma levels of sex steroids (testosterone and 11-ketotestosterone for males and testosterone and estradiol 17-beta for females) were significantly increased in the Ex+Px ayu kept under short photoperiod in both males and females as compared with the initial control. On the other hand, there were no significant increases in GSI and sex steroids in the Ex+Px ayu kept under long photoperiod. Histological observation of gonads in the Ex+Px ayu revealed that oocytes undergoing final maturation in females and proliferation of germ cells in males were observed under short photoperiod but not under long photoperiod. These results indicate that extra-retinal and extra-pineal photoreceptive organ regulates photoperiodic gonadal development in this species.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Contribution of the photoperiod at birth to the association between season of birth and diurnal preference.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of season of birth and photoperiod at birth on diurnal preference in young adults. Participants were 1591 volunteers aged 17-35 years (69% women). The scores obtained on the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ) of Horne and Ostberg were first assessed as a function of gender and season of birth by a two-way ANOVA. Results revealed a higher MEQ score (reflecting more morningness) in women than in men, and in individuals born during autumn than in those born during spring. There was no gender-by-season interaction. The MEQ scores of four categories of photoperiod at birth were also compared. Individuals born during short photoperiods of 8-10h showed stronger morningness than individuals born during photoperiods of 12-14 h. The highest morningness scores were observed in subjects born during 8-10h photoperiods in the autumn. By contrast, diurnal preference of subjects born during 8-10h photoperiods in the winter did not differ from diurnal preference of subjects born during longer photoperiods. Our results add support to previous reports showing an association between season of birth and morningness-eveningness, but this association cannot be explained entirely by the length of the photoperiod at birth. We suggest that the association between season of birth and diurnal preference reflects an influence of light intensity and/or variations in photoperiod during early development on the characteristics of the circadian system.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Early regulation of hypothalamic arcuate nucleus CART gene expression by short photoperiod in the Siberian hamster.

Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) mRNA is expressed in a number of hypothalamic nuclei including the arcuate nucleus (ARC). An increase in CART gene expression in the ARC of juvenile female Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus) 14 days after transfer to short photoperiod at weaning and prior to major divergence of body weight trajectory in this seasonal mammal implicates CART in the induction of programmed weight change. In the current series of experiments, elevated CART mRNA in short photoperiod juvenile female animals relative to long photoperiod controls was apparent throughout the caudal-rostral extent of the ARC after 14 days, but was not observed when short photoperiod exposure was limited to 4-7 days. Elevated CART gene expression was also observed in juvenile males 14 days after transfer to short photoperiod at weaning, in adult female hamsters 14 days after transfer to short photoperiod and in adult male hamsters 21 days after transfer to short photoperiod. There were no consistent trends in expression levels of other energy balance-related genes with these relatively short duration photoperiod manipulations, suggesting that CART may be involved in short photoperiod-programmed body weight regulation.

Animals↗

PubMed1996

Photoperiodic modulation of monoamines and amino-acids involved in the control of prolactin and LH secretion in the ewe: evidence for a regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase activity.

Several neurotransmitters are implicated in the photoperiodic regulation of prolactin and luteinising hormone (LH) secretion in the ewe. This work investigated whether catecholamines, gamma-amino butyric acid (GABA), excitatory amino acids and serotonin diencephalic contents are affected by photoperiod and how such changes relate to the seasonal effects of photoperiod on LH and prolactin secretions. Moreover, to determine whether photoperiod can influence catecholamine biosynthesis, the activity of its rate limiting enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) was also investigated. TH activity and the tissue content of the monoamines and their metabolites were measured in stalk-median eminence (SME), preoptic area (POA) and the mediobasal, mediodorsal and laterobasal aspects of the hypothalamus. Investigation of excitatory amino acids and GABA was limited to the POA and the SME. Ovariectomized ewes were initially maintained in long days (LD) for 70 days. Thereafter half the ewes remained exposed to long days and the other half were transferred onto short days (SD) for 63 to 66 days to induce a stimulation of LH secretion and an inhibition of prolactin secretion. In each photoperiodic regime, half the ewes were treated with a subcutaneous oestradiol implant (+E) and half were not (-E). As expected, short days induced a decrease in prolactin and an increase in pulsatile LH secretion. These neuroendocrine changes were associated with a decrease in the TH activity of the SME in both oestradiol treated and non treated animals (146.5 +/- 24.1, 167.6 +/- 26.5 U TH/g of tissue in LD-E and LD+E vs 83.5 +/- 12.4 and 95.0 +/- 30.2 U TH/g of tissue in SD-E and SD+E animals; P < or = 0.01). A similar and parallel short day-induced decrease was observed in the tissue content of dopamine and its metabolite, 3,4-dihydroxy-phenylacetic acid (SD level were 55% of LD levels, P < 0.05). In POA, a short day-induced decrease in dopamine (18%; P < or = 0.05) and GABA (16.4%; P < or = 0.05) content and an oestradiol-induced decrease in aspartate (15.6%; P < or = 0.05) content were found. This study provides the first report of a photoperiodic control of the synthesis activity of catecholaminergic neurones of the SME in the ewe. The photoperiod-induced changes in dopaminergic activity at the level of the SME were associated with changes in LH and prolactin secretion indicating that TH activity of dopaminergic neurones of the SME could be a critical component of the photoperiodic regulation of LH and/or prolactin secretion. In particular, this finding is in agreement with the hypothesis that photoperiod can control a dopaminergic pathway inhibitory of LH secretion and which ends in the median eminence.

3,4-Dihydroxyphenylacetic Acid↗

PubMed2004

Wavelength dependency of light-induced effects on photoperiodic clock in the migratory blackheaded bunting (Emberiza melanocephala).

The effects of light wavelength on photoperiodic clock were determined in the migratory male blackheaded bunting (Emberiza melanocephala). We constructed an action spectrum for photoperiodic induction (body fattening, gain in body mass, and gonadal recrudescence) by exposing birds for 4.5 weeks to 13 h light per day (L:D = 13:11 h) of white (control), blue (450 nm), or red (640 nm) color at irradiances ranging from 0.028 to 1.4Wm(-2). The threshold light irradiance for photoinduction was about 10-fold higher for blue, compared to red and white light. Phase-dependent effects of light wavelength on the photoperiodic clock were further examined in the next two sets of skeleton photoperiods (SKPs). In the first set of SKPs, birds were exposed for four weeks to asymmetrical light periods (L:D:L:D= 6:6:1:11 h) at 0.25+/-0.01 W m(-2); two light periods applied were of the same (450nm: blue:blue, B:B; 640nm, red:red, R:R) or different (blue:red, B:R or red:blue, R:B) wavelengths, or of white:white (W:W, controls). Photoperiodic induction occurred under R:R and B:R, but not under B:B and R:B light conditions; the W:W condition induced an intermediate response. The second set of SKPs used symmetrical light periods (L:D:L:D = 1:11:1:11 h), and measured effects also on the activity rhythm. Birds were first exposed to one of the four SKPs (R:R, B:B, R:B, or B:R) for three weeks, subsequently were released into dim constant light (LLdim; approximately 0.01 Wm(-2), the night light used in an L:D cycle) for two weeks, and then were returned to respective SKPs for another three weeks. Activity was greater in the R:R compared to B:B, and in B:R compared to R:B light condition. Zugunruhe (intense nighttime activity, indicating migratory restlessness in a caged situation) developed under the R:R and B:R, but not the B:B and R:B, light condition. Under LLdim, all birds free-ran with a period >24h, the Zugunruhe had a circadian period longer than the daytime activity, and the re-entrainment to SKPs was influenced by the position of light periods relative to circadian phase of the activity rhythm. Photoperiodic induction at the end of 8 weeks was found in the R:R and B:R, but not in B:B, light conditions; in the R:B condition only one bird had initiated testes. Taken together, these results suggest that in the blackheaded bunting, the circadian photoperiodic clock is differentially responsive to light wavelengths; this responsiveness is phase-dependent, and the development of Zugunruhe reflects a true circadian function. Wavelength-dependent response of the photoperiodic clock could be part of an adaptive strategy in evolution of the seasonality in reproduction and migration among photoperiodic species under wild conditions.

Animals↗

PubMed2006

Constant and changing photoperiods in the laying period for broiler breeders allowed [corrected] normal or accelerated growth during the rearing period.

Broiler breeder pullets were grown on 8-h photoperiods to 2.23 or 2.42 kg of BW at 20 wk, and then transferred abruptly to 11- or 16-h photoperiods. Subsequently, some of the 11-h photoperiod birds were given 15-min increases in day length weekly or a 1-h increase every 4 wk to reach 16 h of light at 54 wk. The birds transferred abruptly to a 16-h photoperiod at 20 wk matured 4 d earlier than 11-h photoperiod birds, required 500 g less feed to reach 50% lay, but, because of a 3% lower rate of lay after peak, produced 5 fewer eggs to 60 wk. However, the number of settable eggs was similar for the 2 groups because the 11-h photoperiod birds laid more eggs on the floor, resulting in more cracked and dirty eggs. The 11-h photoperiod birds converted feed into egg more efficiently, and were 100 g heavier at end of lay. Increasing the photoperiod in 15-min or 1-h increments from 11 to 16 h during the laying cycle depressed egg production. Mean egg weight and mortality were similar for all lighting groups. The heavier BW birds at 20 wk reached maturity 1 d earlier, but used 1 kg more feed to reach maturity, laid 5 fewer total eggs (because of a 3% lower rate of lay after peak), produced 7 more unsettable eggs (because more eggs were laid on the floor), and converted feed into egg less efficiently than did the lighter BW birds. Mean egg weight, BW at 57 wk, and mortality were similar for both groups. There was no significant light x growth interaction for any performance parameter. It is concluded that there is no benefit to egg production from extending the photoperiod to 16 h when broiler breeders are kept in light-proofed housing, especially if they have access to illuminated nest boxes.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Does leptin mediate the effect of photoperiod on immune function in mice?

Seasonal fluctuations in immune status have been documented for avian and mammalian populations. During the late summer and early fall, immune function is bolstered to help animals cope with the more physiologically demanding winter. The environmental cue for these seasonal changes is apparently decreasing photoperiod. In the present study, we determined the potential role of leptin in mediating the effect of photoperiod on cell-mediated immune responses in male mice. Leptin-deficient (ob/ob) and littermate control mice were housed for 10 wk in either a short (8L:16D) or a long (16L:8D) photoperiod beginning at 6 wk of age. After the mice were killed, immune and reproductive organs were weighed and splenocytes isolated. The proliferative and cytokine responses (interleukin [IL]-2 and IL-4) of splenocytes to the T-cell mitogen, concanavalin A (Con A; 0-40 microg/ml), were determined. Body weights were elevated and both testes and seminal vesicle weights subnormal in ob/ob mice (by ANOVA, main effect of leptin deficiency), but thymuses and spleens were of normal size. Serum leptin levels were at minimum detection limits in ob/ob mice, but leptin levels in control mice housed at 8L:16D were higher than in control mice housed at 16L:8D. The proliferative response of splenocytes from ob/ob mice to Con A was subnormal (by ANOVA, main effect of leptin deficiency), but photoperiod had no effect on this response. Production of IL-2 in splenocytes of ob/ob mice was subnormal (by ANOVA, main effect of leptin deficiency) irrespective of photoperiod, but cells from mice housed at 8L:16D (by ANOVA, main effect of photoperiod) produced more IL-2 than cells from animals housed at 16L:8D. In contrast, a leptin deficiency did not alter IL-4 production, but cells from animals (ob/ob and controls) housed at 16L:8D produced less IL-4 than cells from animals housed at 8L:16D (by ANOVA, main effect of photoperiod). The present study suggests that both photoperiod and leptin have mutually independent effects on the proliferation of lymphocytes and cytokine production profiles. The data do not provide definitive support for the hypothesis that photoperiod-induced changes in leptin secretion mediate the effects of season on immune status.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Photoperiodic responses in Djungarian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus): importance of light history for pineal and serum melatonin profiles.

Male Djungarian hamsters with previous light experience of long photoperiods of 16 h of light per day (16L:8D) or short photoperiods (8L:16D) were transferred either to the opposite photoperiods or to intermediate photoperiods (14L:10D). It was demonstrated that the same intermediate photoperiod could exert inhibitory or stimulatory effects on coat color, body weight, and the reproductive system, dependent on the previous light history. The response was graduated in accordance with the degree of change in day length. Despite opposite responses to the same photoperiod, diurnal patterns of melatonin in the pineal glands were identical. However, the circadian melatonin pattern in serum of photoinhibited hamsters had a more pronounced nighttime elevation than that found in the serum of photostimulated animals. In hamsters nonresponsive to short photoperiods, no proper short-day pattern was found. Melatonin production is a highly dynamic process, causing concentration shifts in the pineal gland and changes in the serum amplitude during prolonged exposure to short photoperiods. The different reactions to identical photoperiods are associated with different serum melatonin patterns, as shown here for the first time.

Animals↗