Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-lnqnp Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T06:59:53.185Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Effects of subcutaneous melatonin implants during long daylength on voluntary feed intake, rumen capacity and heart rate of red deer (Cervus elaphus) fed on a forage diet

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

B. M. Françoise Domingue ,
P. R. Wilson ,
D. W. Dellow  and
T. N. Barry
B. M. Françoise Domingue
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
P. R. Wilson
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
D. W. Dellow
Affiliation:
DSIR Grassland, Palmerston North, New Zealand
T. N. Barry
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Subcutaneous melatonin implants were administered to castrated hand-reared male red deer (Cervus elaphus) during a 63 d period in spring, after which effects on voluntary feed intake (VFI), rumen pool size, rumen capacity (i.e. volume) and heart rate were measured on four occasions, evenly spread over a 12-month period, with the deer individually fed indoors on a diet of lucerne (Medicago sativa) chaff. Blood samples for hormone determinations were taken at intervals throughout the study. Day-time plasma melatonin concentration was approximately 5 pg/ml in control animals, whereas during melatonin administration it increased to 60–150 pg/ml and declined to 30 pg/ml by 142 d after the last implantation. Melatonin administration markedly depressed plasma prolactin concentration during the period of implantation, but thereafter plasma prolactin concentration rose in the treated animals during autumn and winter, whilst it declined in control animals over this period. VFI, rumen pool size and heart rate in control animals attained highest values in summer and lowest values in winter, showing a pronounced seasonal cycle. Melatonin administration depressed all these values in late spring and summer and increased all the values in autumn and winter, relative to control animals, and appeared to move the cycles by approximately 6 months. Melatonin-treated animals showed maximum values for all these measurements during winter. The castrated male deer showed little seasonal change in live weight, which was not affected by melatonin administration. The findings support the view that melatonin probably mediates the effect of daylength on digestive function in red deer. Rumen capacity remained relatively constant throughout the year, but rumen pool size as a proportion of rumen capacity increased with increasing VFI.

Keywords

Voluntary feed intakeDeerMelatoninRumen capacity
Type
Nutritional Effects of Hormones
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 68 , Issue 1 , July 1992 , pp. 77 - 88
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1992

References

REFERENCES

Arendt, J. (1979). Radioimmunoassayable melatonin: circulating patterns in man and sheep. Progress in Brain Research 52, 249–258.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Asher, G. W., Barrell, G. K., Adam, J. L. & Staples, L. D. (1988). Effects of subcutaneous melatonin implants on reproductive seasonality of farmed fallow deer (Dama dama). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 84, 679–691.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ataja, A. M., Wilson, P. R., Purchas, R. W., Hodgson, J., Varela-Alvarez, H. & Barry, T. N. (1990). Responses in venison production to immunisation against melatonin and to grazing pastures based upon perennial or annual ryegrass. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 50, 279–285.Google Scholar
Barry, T. N., Suttie, J. M., Milne, J. A. & Kay, R. N. B. (1991). Control of food intake in domesticated deer. In Physiological Aspects of Digestion and Metabolism in Ruminants. Proceedings of the VIIth International Symposium on Ruminant Physiology, Sendai, Japan, pp. 385–401 [Tsuda, T.Sasaki, Y. and Kawashima, R. editors] San Diego: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bittman, E. L., Dempsey, R. J. & Karsch, F. J. (1983). Pineal melatonin secretion drives the reproductive response to day-length in the ewe. Endocrinology 113, 2276–2283.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Black, J. L. (1990). Nutrition of the grazing ruminant. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 50, 7–27.Google Scholar
Bubenik, G. A. (1983). Shift of seasonal cycle in white-tailed deer by oral administration of melatonin. Journal of Experimental Zoology 225, 155–156.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cole, J. W. L. & Grizzle, J. E. (1966). Applications of multivariate analysis of variance to repeated measurements experiments. Biometrics 22, 810–828.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Curlewis, J. D., Loudon, A. S. I. & Coleman, A. P. M. (1988). Oestrous cycles and the breeding season of the Père David's deer hind (Elaphunus davidianus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 82, 119–126.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Domingue, B. M. F. (1989). A comparative study of voluntary intake and rumen digestion by deer, goats and sheep. PhD Thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.Google Scholar
Duckworth, J. A. & Barrell, G. K. (1989). Effect of melatonin immunisation on live-weight gain of red deer. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 49, 29–34.Google Scholar
Eisemann, J., Bauman, D. E., Hogue, D. E. & Travis, H. F. (1984). Evaluation of a role for prolactin in growth and the photoperiod-induced growth response in sheep. Journal of Animal Science 59, 86–94.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fennessy, P. F., Moore, G. H. & Corson, I. D. (1981). Energy requirements of red deer. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 41, 167–173.Google Scholar
Fisher, M. W., Fennessy, P. F. & Milne, J. D. (1988). Effects of melatonin on seasonal physiology of red deer. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 48, 113–116.Google Scholar
Forbes, J. M., Driver, P. M., Brown, W. B., Scanes, G. G. & Hart, I. C. (1979). The effect of daylength on the growth of lambs. 2. Blood concentrations of growth hormone, prolactin, insulin and thyroxine, and the effect of feeding. Animal Production 29, 43–51.Google Scholar
Fraser, S., Cowen, P. & Franklin, M. (1983). Direct radioimmunoassay for melatonin in plasma. Clinical Chemistry 29, 396–397.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kay, R. N. B. (1985). Body size, patterns of growth, and the efficiency of production in red deer. In Biology of Deer Production. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin no. 22, pp. 411–422 [Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R., editors]. Wellington, New Zealand: Royal Society of New Zealand.Google Scholar
Kennaway, D. J., Dunstan, E. A., Gilmore, T. A. & Seamark, R. E. (1983). Effects of short daylength and melatonin treatment on plasma prolactin and melatonin levels in pinealectomized and sham-operated ewes. Animal Reproduction Science 5, 287–294.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lincoln, G. A. & Ebling, F. J. P. (1985). Effect of constant-release implants of melatonin on seasonal cycles in reproduction, prolactin secretion and moulting in rams. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 73, 241–253.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lincoln, G. A. & Kay, R. N. B. (1979). Effects of season on the secretion of LH and testosterone in intact and castrated red deer stags. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 55, 75–80.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Loudon, A. S. I., Milne, J. A., Curlewis, J. D. & McNeilly, A. S. (1989). A comparison of seasonal hormone changes and patterns of growth, voluntary food intake and reproduction in juvenile and adult red deer (Cervus elaphus) and Père David's deer (Elaphunus davidianus) hinds. Journal of Endocrinology 122, 733–745.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milne, J. A. (1980). Comparative digestive physiology and metabolism of the red deer and sheep. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 40, 151–157.Google Scholar
Milne, J. A., McRae, J. C., Spence, A. M. & Wilson, S. (1978). A comparison of the voluntary intake and digestion of a range of forages at different times of the year by the sheep and the red deer (Cervus elaphus). British Journal of Nutrition 40, 346–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Milne, J. A., Loudon, A. S. I., Sibbald, A. M., Curlewis, J. D. & McNeilly, A. S. (1990). Effects of melatonin and a dopamine agonist and antagonist on seasonal changes in voluntary intake, reproductive activity and plasma concentrations of prolactin and tri-iodothyronine in red deer hinds. Journal of Endocrinology, 125, 241–249.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moen, A. N. (1978). Seasonal changes in heart rates, activity, metabolism, and forage intake of white-tailed deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 42, 715–738.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moen, A. N. (1985). Energy metabolism of deer in relation to environmental variables. In Biology of Deer Production. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin no. 22, pp. 439 445 [Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R., editors]. Wellington, New Zealand: Royal Society of New Zealan.Google Scholar
Plotka, E. D., Seal, U. S., Letellier, M. A., Verme, L. J. & Ozaga, J. J. (1981). Effect of pinealectomy on seasonal phenotypic changes in white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus borealis). In Pineal Function, pp. 45–56 [Matthews, C. D. and Seamark, R. F., editors]. Amsterdam: Elsevier/North Holland.Google Scholar
Poulton, A. L., English, J., Symons, A. M. & Arendt, J. (1986). Effects of various melatonin treatments on plasma prolactin concentrations in the ewe. Journal of Endocrinology 108, 287–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poulton, A. L., English, J., Symons, A. M. & Arendt, J. (1987). Changes in plasma concentrations of LH, FSH and prolactin in ewes receiving melatonin and short photoperiod to induce early onset of breeding activity. Journal of Endocrinology 112, 103–111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roughan, P. G. & Holland, R. (1977). Predicting in viva digestibilities of herbage by exhaustive enzymic hydrolysis of cell walls. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 28, 1057–1064.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ryg, M. & Jacobsen, E. (1982). Effects of thyroid hormones and prolactin on food intake and weight changes in young male reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus). Canadian Journal of Zoology 60, 1562–1567.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Silver, H., Colovos, N. F., Holter, J. B. & Hayes, H. H. (1969). Fasting metabolism of white-tailed deer. Journal of Wildlife Management 33, 490–498.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simpson, A. M., Suttie, J. M. & Kay, R. N. B. (1984). The influence of artificial photoperiod on the growth, appetite and reproductive status of male red deer and sheep. Animal Reproduction Science 6, 291–299.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M., Corson, I. D. & Fennessy, P. F. (1984). Voluntary intake, testis development and antler growth patterns of male Red Deer under a manipulated photoperiod. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 44, 167–170.Google Scholar
Suttie, J. M. & Kay, R. N. B. (1985). Influence of plane of winter nutrition on plasma concentrations of prolactin and testosterone and their association with voluntary food intake in red deer stags (Cervus elaphus). Animal Reproduction Science 8, 247–258.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Suttie, J. M. & Simpson, A. M. (1985). Photoperiodic control of appetite, growth, antlers, and endocrine status of red deer. In Biology of Deer Production. Royal Society of New Zealand Bulletin no. 22, pp. 429–432 [Fennessy, P. F. and Drew, K. R., editors]. Wellington, New Zealand: Royal Society of New Zealand.Google Scholar
Van Landeghem, A. A. J. & van der Weil, D. F. M. (1978). Radioimmunoassay for porcine prolactin; plasma levels during suckling, lactation and weaning, and after TRH administration. Acta Endocrinologica 88, 653–667.Google Scholar
Webster, J. R. & Barrell, G. K. (1985). Advancement of reproductive activity, seasonal reduction in prolactin secretion and seasonal pelage changes in pubertal red deer hinds (Cervus elaphus) subjected to artificially shortened daily photoperiod of daily melatonin treatments. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 73, 255–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, P. R. (1991). Field studies of advancing the breeding season in farmed red deer using melatonin implants: two dosage regimes and the influence of the stag. In Biology of Deer, pp 313–319 [Brown, R. D., editor]. New York: Springer-Verlag.Google Scholar
Wilson, P. R., Walker, I. H., Middleberg, A., Bond, D. B. & Staples, L. D. (1991). Field evaluation of melatonin implants to advance the breeding season in one-year-old red deer hinds. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 39: 23–28.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wurtman, R. J. & Anton-Tay, F. (1969). The mammalian pineal as a neuroendocrine transducer. Recent Progress in Hormone Research 25, 493–522.Google ScholarPubMed