title: Food restriction, gonadotropins, and behavior in the lactating rat.
abstract: This study sought to quantify effects of undernutrition on behaviors and to relate these to gonadotropin and prolactin concentrations in the lactating dam. Dams were studied in a 2 x 3 factorial design with litter size and food intake as the two factors. Behavioral data were collected from each dam and her litter on day 9, day 14, and day 19 of lactation, and maternal blood samples collected. Plasma was analyzed for luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and prolactin. On day 15 of lactation, percent time nursing, number of pups actively nursing, total number of pups nursing and dam location acted as mediating factors of the effect of diet group on plasma luteinizing hormone concentration. No such relationships were seen for plasma follicle stimulating hormone, and only nest condition score appeared to be a mediator for plasma prolactin concentration. In conclusion, this analysis suggests that food restriction indirectly influences plasma concentration of luteinizing hormone, but not follicle stimulating hormone, by changing maternal and pup behaviors. The relationship among diet, behavior and circulating prolactin was less clear.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: McGuire
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pachón
authors.forename: W R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D006062:Gonadotropins / Q000378:metabolism*; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D006062:Gonadotropins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone