Disrupting the circadian photo-period alters the release of follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, progesterone, and estradiol in maternal and fetal sheep.
Although a large number of studies show that photo-period disruption potentially affects hormone secretion in mammals, information about the effects of circadian photo-period disruption during pregnancy on fetal blood reproductive hormone levels is scarce. This study used ewes and their fetuses to determine the effects of circadian photo-period disruption (deprivation of darkness) on follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, estradiol, and progesterone in maternal and fetal circulation at late gestation. Pregnant ewes (gestational age: 135 ± 3 days) were randomly placed into control and dark deprivation groups. The control (N = 5) and dark deprivation (N = 5) groups were exposed to a fixed 12 h light/12 h dark cycle and a 24 h constant light cycle, respectively, for 2 days. Dark deprivation up-regulated follicle-stimulating hormone and estradiol levels and down-regulated progesterone levels in both maternal and fetal circulation, and up-regulated luteinizing hormone levels in fetal but not maternal circulation. These results provide new information about how circadian photo-period disruption during pregnancy could alter the release of certain reproductive hormones into fetal blood, which may influence the development of fetal organs in utero, as well as long-term health.
Institute for Fetology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu 215006, China.
Qinqin
Q
Gao
Juanxiu
J
Lv
Weisheng
W
Li
Pengjie
P
Zhang
Jianying
J
Tao
Zhice
Z
Xu
D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood*; D017440:Photoperiod; D011247:Pregnancy; D011270:Pregnancy, Animal; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D011897:Random Allocation; D012756:Sheep; D034561:Sheep, Domestic
D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone