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Induction of rapid testicular growth in Japanese quail by phasic electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic photosensitive area

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Summary

Optic fibers were implanted stereotaxically into the brain of immature male Japanese quail reared under short-day photoperiod (lights on from 1000 to 1800 h), and photosensitive sites in the hypothalamus were examined using gonadal growth and associated hormonal changes as the indices.

In the subsequent experiments, bipolar (coaxial) electrodes were implanted chronically using predetermined coordinates for highly photosensitive sites. Henceforth the birds received brief electrical stimulation (square wave, 100 Hz, 100μA, 2 min) once daily for 21 consecutive days. When the electrical stimulation was applied early in the dark period, marked gonadal growth was induced, but identical stimulation given in the light period resulted in no testicular growth. The response curve of testicular weight vs clock time of electrical stimulation has a prominent peak at 3 h after the onset of dark. Apparently, the neural complex in the photosensitive area of the quail hypothalamus responds to electrical stimulation as it does to light. We conclude that in photoperiodic birds the principal factor which determines the magnitude of gonadal responses is not the intensity of the stimulus but its timing (circadian phase).

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Abbreviations

GnRH :

gonadotropin releasing hormone

LD :

light and dark

LED :

light emitting diode

CRT :

cathode ray tube

LH :

luteinizing hormone

OD :

outer diameter

ID :

inner diameter

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Physiology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, 113, Tokyo

    Mitsuaki Ohta & Kazutaka Homma

  2. Institute for Medical and Dental Engineering, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 2-3-10, Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, 101, Tokyo, Japan

    Masaru Wada

Authors
  1. Mitsuaki Ohta
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  2. Masaru Wada
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  3. Kazutaka Homma
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Ohta, M., Wada, M. & Homma, K. Induction of rapid testicular growth in Japanese quail by phasic electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic photosensitive area. J. Comp. Physiol. 154, 583–589 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00610171

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