Effect of a vasotocin analog on singing behavior in the canary

Groups of juvenile and 1-year-old male canaries were treated briefly with the vasotocin (VT) analog desGly(NH2)9d(CH2)5-[Tyr(Me)2,Thr4, Orn8]VT (dGVTA) during four time intervals between September and February. The canaries received subcutaneously testosterone-containing silastic implants at the start of the VT analog treatment to assure that despite age and season differences the birds would all have comparable plasma levels of testosterone. The VT analog was administered subcutaneously (0.7 micrograms/100 microliters) during the first 3 days (3 injections daily) of chronic testosterone treatment. Observations on the singing behavior were carried out between Day 8 and Day 30 after implantation of the testosterone-filled silastic tubing. The short-term administration of the VT analog influenced the amount of singing behavior during a 30-min observation interval measured 1 to 4 weeks later. Despite age differences the effect of dGVTA held and seemed more related to season than to age. The song duration (seconds of song/30 min) was affected in a dual mode. In early autumn the VT analog enhanced song duration of testosterone-primed canaries, but the same VT analog decreased song duration in the period November/January. These results suggest that the neuropeptide VT is implicated in control of seasonal changes in singing behavior.