The effect of lesions of the accessory optic tract terminal nuclei on the gonadal response to light in ferrets.
Electrolytic lesions were made in the lateral (LTN), medial (MTN) or in both terminal nuclei of the accessory optic tract in female ferrets. Either the ipsilateral or contralateral eye was removed. Complete destruction of both nuclei, as assessed by both histological and autoradiographic criteria, did not prevent the acceleration of estrus by artificial long days (L:D, 14:10) in any animal. Although the ferret has no anterior (inferior) accessory tract, lesions were also made in the medial forebrain bundle (MFB) area in ipsilaterally and contralaterally enucleated animals. Estrus still occurred in response to artificial long days in these animals. The experiments suggest that the accessory optic system in the ferret does not transmit information to the pineal regulating the annual breeding season.
D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora / Q000502:physiology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005260:Female; D005289:Ferrets / Q000502:physiology*; D005829:Geniculate Bodies; D008027:Light; D008474:Medial Forebrain Bundle; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000502:physiology; D009799:Ocular Physiological Phenomena; D009897:Optic Chiasm; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy