title: Effect of duration of melatonin treatment on the onset and duration of oestrous cyclicity in ewes.
abstract: Forty-two Scottish Blackface ewes that lambed outdoors in March were removed from their lambs at the end of April and housed under natural daylength at 57 degrees N. Treatments (n = 7 ewes per treatment) commenced on 1 May and comprised daily oral dosing at 15:00 h with 3 mg melatonin dissolved in water and ethanol (4:1, v/v) for 30, 60, 90, 120 or 150 days. Control ewes received the vehicle alone. Ovarian activity was assessed by laparoscopy at monthly intervals with an additional interim observation in mid-July. Blood was sampled three times a week by jugular venepuncture and assayed for progesterone, prolactin and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). Luteinizing hormone (LH) was determined in blood samples collected at 15 min intervals for 10 h on days 28, 60, 91, 119 and 150. Thirty days of melatonin treatment delayed (P < 0.01) first ovulation by about 1 month (mean interval +/- SEM from 1 May to progesterone > 1 ng ml-1, 165 +/- 4.5 days versus 132 +/- 9.2 days for controls). None of the ewes that received melatonin for 60 days ovulated before the end of melatonin treatment, but subsequently six of them did; the mean interval from 1 May to increased progesterone concentration was 75 +/- 1.2 days. All ewes receiving melatonin for 90, 120 and 150 days ovulated with corresponding mean intervals of 83 +/- 2.7, 85 +/- 1.3 and 87 +/- 2.2 days, respectively (P < 0.001 compared with controls).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Aitken
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wigzell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008550:Melatonin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011388:Prolactin / Q000097:blood; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D008550:Melatonin