title: Effect of litter separation on 24-hour rhythmicity of plasma prolactin, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone levels in lactating rabbit does.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This work describes the effect of a 48-h litter separation on 24-h patterns of plasma prolactin, FSH and LH concentration in female lactating rabbits kept under a 16:8 light-dark photoperiod (lights on at 0800 h).
  
  
  METHODS
  Groups of 6-7 female lactating rabbits maintained with their litters or separated from them for 48 h were killed by decapitation on day 11 post-partum, at 6 different time points throughout a 24-h cycle, starting at 0900 h. Plasma levels of prolactin, FSH and LH were measured by specific double antibody radio-immunoassays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma level of prolactin in control and separated does changed in a similar way throughout the day, showing two maxima, at 0500-0900 h and at 1700-2100 h, respectively. Litter separation significantly augmented plasma FSH and LH and disrupted their 24-h rhythmicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Since previous studies had shown that litter separation for short periods of time augmented sexual receptivity and fertility of the doe, the changes in FSH and LH reported may influence the massive release of gonadotropin releasing hormone, LH and FSH triggered by mating or artificial insemination in litter-separated mothers.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Bioquímica y Biología Molecular III, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain. pelayos@med.ucm.es
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cano
authors.forename: Vanessa
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: Maria P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvariño
authors.forename: Daniel P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Cardinali
authors.forename: Ana I
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Esquifino