Effects of photoperiod on hibernation in castrated Turkish hamsters

Hibernation and circulating reproductive hormones [luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, and prolactin (LH, FSH, and PRL)] were studied for greater than 40 wk in castrated male Turkish hamsters (Mesocricetus brandti) housed in either a long-day cold or short-day cold environment. A significantly greater percentage of short-day animals hibernated than did long-day animals, indicating that short-day exposure can predispose Turkish hamsters to enter hibernation and that this photoperiodic effect cannot be explained entirely by the inhibitory influence of short days on testicular endocrine activity. Long-day castrates showed no significant changes in LH or FSH levels during the experiment. In the short-day castrates serum LH, FSH, and PRL levels were reduced after 4-9 wk and increased again after 18-23 wk of short-day exposure. The hibernation season ended after 30-34 wk on short days, several weeks later than in testis-intact males studied previously. These results indicate that gonadal factors are not required for the termination of hibernation but may influence its timing. The resumption of FSH secretion occurred no later during short-day exposure in castrated hibernators than in the preceding study of testis-intact, short-day males hibernating in the cold or those held at room temperature. Thus the endogenous timing mechanism regulating the reactivation of the hypothalamopituitary axis toward the end of the winter season is apparently gonad independent and is little affected by the low body temperatures experienced during hibernation.