The effect of melatonin administration on circulating plasma luteinizing hormone concentration in castrated White Leghorn roosters

Melatonin (MLT) has a significant role in mammalian reproduction, with little or no effect in birds. In the present study we studied the role of MLT in regulation of luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion in castrated White Leghorn (WL) roosters. In Experiment 1, castrated WL roosters (n = 30) were divided into three groups, and each group (n = 10) was subdivided into two subgroups (n = 5). Birds in one subgroup received an injection of MLT at 5 mg (MLT-5), 20 mg (MLT-20), or 80 mg (MLT-80)/kg BW. Birds in the second subgroup were vehicle-injected and served as controls. Each dose of MLT was administered on a separate day at 1100 h. Blood was sampled 30 min before and 10, 30, 60, and 120 min after MLT or vehicle administration. Ten minutes after MLT administration, a significant reduction in plasma LH was observed in the MLT-20 and -80 groups, i.e., 70.3 +/- 8.3% and 62.2 +/- 4.1% of control values, respectively. In the MLT-80 group, plasma LH further declined to 42.1 +/- 9.7% of control values 60 min after injection. In Experiment 2, 18 castrated WL roosters were divided into three groups of six birds each. Two groups were injected with 80 mg MLT/kg BW at the beginning of the experiment; the second group received an additional dose of 80 mg MLT/ kg BW 140 min after the first injection. The third group was injected twice (as in second group) with vehicle and served as control. Blood was sampled 30 min before and 30, 60, 120, 170, 200, and 240 min after injection. Repeated MLT injection maintained low levels of plasma LH level until the end of the experiment. In Experiment 3, 10 castrated WL roosters were divided into two groups (n = 5). The first group was injected daily, for 10 d, with 80 mg MLT/kg BW, the second group was vehicle-treated and served as a control. At Day 3, there was a significant reduction in plasma LH level in the MLT-treated group, which continued for 7 d. This study demonstrates that, in birds, MLT suppresses LH secretion in a dose- and a time-related manner.