Tryptophan feeding induces sensitivity to short daylengths in photorefractory hamsters

Mucuna pruriens seed powder feeding influences reproductive conditions and development in Japanese quail Coturnix coturnix japonica

This study was designed to test whether Mucuna pruriens, a natural source of l-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA, a dopamine precursor) feeding, can influence development and reproductive conditions in the high food value bird, Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica. Experiments were performed in both male and female Japanese quail. One-week-old quail chicks were divided into three groups of 36 birds each. Group I was provided with normal diet and served as control. Group II was provided with food mixed with l-DOPA (50 mg/15 g food) and Group III was provided with food mixed with M. pruriens seed powder (480 g/kg food). At the age of 3 weeks (when birds were sexually distinguished) Group I was divided into two sub-groups IA (male) and IB (female) of six birds each. Similarly, Groups II and III were sub-divided into IIA (male), IIB (female) and IIIA (male), IIIB (female), respectively, of six birds each. Observations were made up to the age of 5 weeks. Male experimental groups (IIA and IIIA) showed significantly increased testicular activity, cloacal gland volume, body weight (BW), plasma testosterone and LH level in comparison to control (IA). Similarly female experimental groups (IIB and IIIB) showed significantly greater weight of reproductive organs (uterus, ovary, oviduct and ovarian follicle), BW, egg weight and size and number of follicles. On the other hand, plasma prolactin level was significantly low in comparison to control (IB). Results suggest that M. pruriens is a rich natural source of l-DOPA and the development and reproduction in Japanese quail might be associated with the dopaminergic system of the brain.

Neurotoxic effects of repetitive inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation in young adults surfacing with deficits of spatial learning in old age

Little is known about whether events in youth impact performance in old age. We examined spatial navigation in young (4.5 months) and middle-aged (9 months) CD-1 mice in a complex maze after treatment with 3-nitropropionate (3-np; 20 mg/kg body weight; 9 injections intraperitoneally [i.p.] every other day). Young mice treated with 3-np were examined in a mirror version of this maze in old age (22 months) and with a nonreference memory task of an eight-arm radial maze. The performance of young mice was affected to a small degree by treatment with 3-np. However, the performance of middle-aged mice severely declined on 3-np treatment. Animals treated at a young age with 3-np showed learning deficits in old age for both the complex maze and the radial maze. We conclude that exposure to repetitive inhibition of oxidative phosphorylation in youth leads to impairment of spatial learning surfacing in old age.

Adult but not aged C57BL/6 male mice are capable of using geometry for orientation

Geometry, e.g., the shape of the environment, can be used by numerous animal species to orientate, but data concerning the mouse are lacking. We addressed the question of whether mice are capable of using geometry for navigating. To test whether aging could affect searching strategies, we compared adult (3- to 5-mo old) and aged (20- to 21-mo old) C57BL/6 male mice. We established a water maze task in which spatial information is provided by one landmark proximal to the target (featural information) and by the rectangular shape of the maze (geometric information). By means of probe trials in which we manipulated the presence of these two kinds of information, we show that adult mice can use both geometry and landmark to orientate. By contrast, aged mice do not use geometry and rely exclusively on the landmark to locate the platform. This study provides the first evidence that mice are capable of using geometric information for orientation and that this ability declines in aged animals.

Circadian and seasonal variations of plasma insulin and cortisol concentrations in the Syrian hamster, Mesocricetus auratus

Circadian rhythms of plasma insulin, cortisol, and glucose concentrations were examined in scotosensitive (reproductively sensitive to inhibitory effects of short daylengths) and scotorefractory male and female Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) maintained on short (LD 10:14) and long (LD 14:10) daylengths. The baseline concentration (mean of all values obtained every 4 hr six times of day) of insulin was much greater in female than in male scotosensitive hamsters kept on short daylengths. These differences in insulin concentration may account for the observed heavy fat stores in female and low fat stores in male scotosensitive hamsters kept on short daylengths. The baseline concentrations of cortisol were approximately equal in both scotosensitive and scotorefractory males held on short and long daylengths, but were relatively low in females held on short daylengths and especially high in scotorefractory females held on long daylengths. The plasma concentrations of both cortisol and insulin varied throughout the day in many of the groups tested. However, the variations were not equivalent. The circadian variations of cortisol were similar irrespective of sex, seasonal condition and daylength. Peak concentrations generally occurred about 12 hr after light onset. In contrast, the circadian variations of insulin differed markedly. For example in male hamsters, robust daily variations were found in scotosensitive hamsters held on short daylengths but not on long daylengths and in scotorefractory hamsters held on long daylengths but not on short daylengths. Furthermore, the daily peak occurred during the light in the scotosensitive hamsters and during the dark in the scotorefractory animals. Neither the daily feeding pattern (about 60% consumed during dark) nor the daily variations of glucose concentration varied appreciably with seasonal condition or daylength. They do not appear to determine nor directly reflect the variations in cortisol and glucose concentrations. It is postulated that the daily rhythms of cortisol and insulin are regulated by different neural pacemaker systems and that changes in the phase relations of circadian systems account in part for seasonal changes in body fat stores.

Trophic response of hamster brown adipose tissue: roles of norepinephrine and pineal gland

The objective was to find out whether the reduced amount of brown adipose tissue in myopathic hamsters [Am. J. Physiol. 239 (Cell Physiol. 8): C18-C22, 1980] was secondary to a refractoriness to the trophic influence of norepinephrine. However, no evidence for any trophic influence of norepinephrine on brown adipose tissue of either normal or myopathic hamsters could be detected under experimental conditions that have demonstrated such an influence in rats. A mediator other than norepinephrine, melatonin, secreted by the pineal gland, is known to mediate the control of brown adipose tissue growth induced in hamsters by short photoperiod. Further studies of intact or pinealectomized hamsters showed that the pineal gland was not required for either cold- or diet-induced growth of brown adipose tissue. It is concluded that the defect in control of brown adipose tissue size in the hamster with muscular dystrophy is not due either to abnormal control by norepinephrine or to the pineal gland since neither of these appears to participate in the normal regulation of brown adipose tissue size in relation to environmental temperature or to diet.