BIOLOGY
OF
REPRODUCTION
17,
Changes
506-5
in Serum Abnormal
B. COLENBRANDER,
of
LH Concentrations
Sexual
Th.A.M.
Department Clinic
13 (1977)
KRUIP,
of Functional Bekkerstraat 141,
Veterinary
Obstetrics, State Yalelaan
During
Development S.
J.
DIELEMAN
Morphology, Utrecht, The
The
and
C.
State University Netherlands and
Gynaecology and University Utrecht, 7, Utrecht,
Normal
and
in the Pig
Artificial
J.
G. WENSING
Utrecht, Insemination,
Netherlands
ABSTRACT Blood samples were collected from fetal and prepubertal pigs, starting at 49 days postcoituln and ending with pigs 25 weeks old. In addition, blood samples were collected from unilaterally cryptorchid, freemartin and castrated pigs of similar ages. Serum LH was quantified by radioimmunoassay. The LH concentration in the serum of male and female fetuses was undetectable in the second trimester of gestation but increased gradually thereafter, up to two weeks after birth. Frequent
sampling of 2-week old pigs showed irregular LH peaks (>2 ng/ml) at this time. In the third and fourth week after birth average LU concentrations decreased. Average LH concentrations increased to about 2 ng/ml in castrated pigs. LH concentrations observed for freemartin pigs were 1.3 ± 0.7 ng/ml.
The changes functional
in LH concentrations
activity
concentration
and
appeared
of the testis. No normal and abnormal
to be well correlated
correlation gubernacular
INTRODUCTION
hormones development and
in the
role
(Prader, descent
play an important functioning of the
Gonadotrophic
Tseng to
et al.,
these
1975),
hormones
with an (Abramovich
“in
increased et al.,
Sundby et al., with a progressive al
while
endocrine
male
vivo”
or “in
production 1974; Warren
1975; Rager development cells
gonads
naculum
(cells
chidism 1973;
react
Leydig)
on
has
involvement in the descent
been
postulated
ciency
might
of
testis
the
(Arvy,
concentrations have for the
factor
for
defimaldescent
Prader,
1974).
of HCG or LH-RH therapy in cryptorchid may result in testicular descent although mechanism
by
which
The purpose serum LH
that 1974;
it
works
is
pig
gubernacular
may
result
in
decryptor-
hernia (Wensing, 1968, Colenbrander, 1973). Al-
also resulted and Wensing,
the genital was focused
gonadotrophin
Abnormal the
and LH
et a!., 1975). The normal is effected by the guber-
or inguinal Wensing and
of gonadotrophic horof the testis is obscure. It
be a causal (Bergada,
in
postnatal period these data with
1962).
The mones
reaction.
pig, which (Colenbrander
of steroids et al., 1975;
et al., 1976) and of the interstitiof
Happ testis
in
though there is no gubernaculum reaction normal females, a similar abnormal gubernacular development was observed in the freemartin
exposed
vitro”
1974; of the
velopment
gonads. Absence or abnormally low concentrations of these hormones result in underdevelopment of the gonads (Jost, 1951; Zondek and Zondek, 1965; Liggins and Kennedy, 1968;
with the differentiation between the changes
could be detected development.
activity
Use
the
boys the
of
of this study concentrations
was
of the
to
in
in the pig, the structural
system on
the
in inguinal 1975). the
in
hernia
obtain
fetal
data
and
and to correlate differentiation of
these animals. variations in
Attention serum LH
and any significance these might morphogenesis and functional testis
and
the
development
AND
METHODS
of
gubernaculum. MATERIALS
unknown Animals Blood
Accepted Received
female
May 23, 1977. October 5, 1976.
turn
506
samples
were
collected
from
male
and
animals, ranging in age from 49 days postcoito 25 weeks postpartum. Samples were collected
LH
from the umbilical my and hysterotomy tered
sows.
artery on
Postnatal
from
the fetus
anesthetized
pigs
were
AND
IN FETAL
PREPUBERTAL
PIGS
507
by laparoto-
sows sampled
or
slaugh-
from
the
jugular vein (Table 1). Samples were also obtained from the umbilical vein of 30 fetuses. Blood samples were collected from two male and two female fetuses obtained by hysterotomy at the onset of parturition. Plasma was stored at -20#{176} C until assay. All animals were crossbred Dutch Landrace and Yorkshire. Serial sampling was performed on postnatal pigs at various ages (Table 1). Four animals, age 10 weeks, were fitted surgically with chronic jugular cannulae for these samplings. Eight males were castrated at 8 weeks of age and subsequently 77 blood samples were collected at approximately two week intervals until 25 weeks of age. Two and a half weeks after castration two of these animals were serially sampled for 24 h at two h intervals. Eighteen pigs with both female external genitalia and inguinal hernias were selected for study. These animals were considered to be freemartins, a condition which was later confirmed upon morphological (Colenbrander and Wensing, 1975) and cytogenetical investigations. The cytogenetical studies involved metaphase spreads of lymphocytes cultured from the peripheral blood of 15 of these animals (Bosma et al., 1975), and revealed XX/XY mosaicism in all subjects. Metaphase spreads of cultured kidney cells were examined in seven of these animals and all showed the XX karyotype. From these 18 animals 65 blood samples were collected between 0-25 weeks of age. Serial sampling was performed on 5 animals 16 weeks old at two h intervals during a 24-h period.
N
v
2
N
.
2 i
.
-
d
.c
OF
REPRODUCTION
17,
Changes
506-5
in Serum Abnormal
B. COLENBRANDER,
of
LH Concentrations
Sexual
Th.A.M.
Department Clinic
13 (1977)
KRUIP,
of Functional Bekkerstraat 141,
Veterinary
Obstetrics, State Yalelaan
During
Development S.
J.
DIELEMAN
Morphology, Utrecht, The
The
and
C.
State University Netherlands and
Gynaecology and University Utrecht, 7, Utrecht,
Normal
and
in the Pig
Artificial
J.
G. WENSING
Utrecht, Insemination,
Netherlands
ABSTRACT Blood samples were collected from fetal and prepubertal pigs, starting at 49 days postcoituln and ending with pigs 25 weeks old. In addition, blood samples were collected from unilaterally cryptorchid, freemartin and castrated pigs of similar ages. Serum LH was quantified by radioimmunoassay. The LH concentration in the serum of male and female fetuses was undetectable in the second trimester of gestation but increased gradually thereafter, up to two weeks after birth. Frequent
sampling of 2-week old pigs showed irregular LH peaks (>2 ng/ml) at this time. In the third and fourth week after birth average LU concentrations decreased. Average LH concentrations increased to about 2 ng/ml in castrated pigs. LH concentrations observed for freemartin pigs were 1.3 ± 0.7 ng/ml.
The changes functional
in LH concentrations
activity
concentration
and
appeared
of the testis. No normal and abnormal
to be well correlated
correlation gubernacular
INTRODUCTION
hormones development and
in the
role
(Prader, descent
play an important functioning of the
Gonadotrophic
Tseng to
et al.,
these
1975),
hormones
with an (Abramovich
“in
increased et al.,
Sundby et al., with a progressive al
while
endocrine
male
vivo”
or “in
production 1974; Warren
1975; Rager development cells
gonads
naculum
(cells
chidism 1973;
react
Leydig)
on
has
involvement in the descent
been
postulated
ciency
might
of
testis
the
(Arvy,
concentrations have for the
factor
for
defimaldescent
Prader,
1974).
of HCG or LH-RH therapy in cryptorchid may result in testicular descent although mechanism
by
which
The purpose serum LH
that 1974;
it
works
is
pig
gubernacular
may
result
in
decryptor-
hernia (Wensing, 1968, Colenbrander, 1973). Al-
also resulted and Wensing,
the genital was focused
gonadotrophin
Abnormal the
and LH
et a!., 1975). The normal is effected by the guber-
or inguinal Wensing and
of gonadotrophic horof the testis is obscure. It
be a causal (Bergada,
in
postnatal period these data with
1962).
The mones
reaction.
pig, which (Colenbrander
of steroids et al., 1975;
et al., 1976) and of the interstitiof
Happ testis
in
though there is no gubernaculum reaction normal females, a similar abnormal gubernacular development was observed in the freemartin
exposed
vitro”
1974; of the
velopment
gonads. Absence or abnormally low concentrations of these hormones result in underdevelopment of the gonads (Jost, 1951; Zondek and Zondek, 1965; Liggins and Kennedy, 1968;
with the differentiation between the changes
could be detected development.
activity
Use
the
boys the
of
of this study concentrations
was
of the
to
in
in the pig, the structural
system on
the
in inguinal 1975). the
in
hernia
obtain
fetal
data
and
and to correlate differentiation of
these animals. variations in
Attention serum LH
and any significance these might morphogenesis and functional testis
and
the
development
AND
METHODS
of
gubernaculum. MATERIALS
unknown Animals Blood
Accepted Received
female
May 23, 1977. October 5, 1976.
turn
506
samples
were
collected
from
male
and
animals, ranging in age from 49 days postcoito 25 weeks postpartum. Samples were collected
LH
from the umbilical my and hysterotomy tered
sows.
artery on
Postnatal
from
the fetus
anesthetized
pigs
were
AND
IN FETAL
PREPUBERTAL
PIGS
507
by laparoto-
sows sampled
or
slaugh-
from
the
jugular vein (Table 1). Samples were also obtained from the umbilical vein of 30 fetuses. Blood samples were collected from two male and two female fetuses obtained by hysterotomy at the onset of parturition. Plasma was stored at -20#{176} C until assay. All animals were crossbred Dutch Landrace and Yorkshire. Serial sampling was performed on postnatal pigs at various ages (Table 1). Four animals, age 10 weeks, were fitted surgically with chronic jugular cannulae for these samplings. Eight males were castrated at 8 weeks of age and subsequently 77 blood samples were collected at approximately two week intervals until 25 weeks of age. Two and a half weeks after castration two of these animals were serially sampled for 24 h at two h intervals. Eighteen pigs with both female external genitalia and inguinal hernias were selected for study. These animals were considered to be freemartins, a condition which was later confirmed upon morphological (Colenbrander and Wensing, 1975) and cytogenetical investigations. The cytogenetical studies involved metaphase spreads of lymphocytes cultured from the peripheral blood of 15 of these animals (Bosma et al., 1975), and revealed XX/XY mosaicism in all subjects. Metaphase spreads of cultured kidney cells were examined in seven of these animals and all showed the XX karyotype. From these 18 animals 65 blood samples were collected between 0-25 weeks of age. Serial sampling was performed on 5 animals 16 weeks old at two h intervals during a 24-h period.
N
v
2
N
.
2 i
.
-
d
.c
