Pulsatile release of luteinising hormone during the luteal phase in lactating and weaned sows
P. Langendijk A D , S. J. Dieleman B , R. Gerritsen C , W. Hazeleger C , M.-L. Mainsant C , N. M. Soede C and B. Kemp CA South Australian Research and Development Institute, Roseworthy Campus, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia.
B Department of Farm Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, Yalelaan 7, 3584 CL Utrecht, The Netherlands.
C Department of Animal Science, Marijkeweg 40, 6709 PG Wageningen, The Netherlands.
D Corresponding author. Email: langendijk.pieter@saugov.sa.gov.au
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 19(8) 961-966 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD07117
Submitted: 24 July 2006 Accepted: 21 September 2007 Published: 30 August 2007
Abstract
The present paper describes luteal phase luteinising hormone (LH) in sows that ovulated due to a limited nursing regimen (LN). The LN regimen was imposed either at Day 14 or at Day 21 of lactation. At ovulation, lactation was terminated (n = 8) or sows remained lactating throughout early pregnancy (n = 8). Blood samples were collected every 15 min for 8 h during the day, around Day 11 after ovulation. In addition, lactating sows were bled during the night, when piglets were allowed to suckle. The LH pattern was typical for the luteal phase, with one to five pulses per 8 h. The LH characteristics (frequency, base, average, pulse area) did not differ between lactating and weaned sows, except for the amplitude of LH pulses, which was higher in weaned sows compared with lactating sows (1.22 ± 0.15 v. 0.76 ± 0.11 ng mL–1, respectively; P < 0.05). In lactating sows, average LH, basal LH and the frequency of LH pulses were significantly lower during the night, when piglets were allowed to suckle. The sage of lactation at which LN was imposed did not influence LH. In conclusion, it is unlikely that the small difference in LH explains the considerable difference between lactating and weaned sows in progesterone at Day 12 of pregnancy (24.1 ± 1.3 v. 43.3 ± 4.0 ng mL–1, respectively; P < 0.01). Moreover, the difference in progesterone already exists during the early luteal phase (Day 0–10), when secretion of the corpora lutea is still independent of LH.
Additional keyword: progesterone.
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