Hostname: page-component-77c89778f8-gvh9x Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-21T10:03:46.408Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Autumnal timing of photoperiodic manipulation critical via melatonin to winter pelage development in mink

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

M. Valtonen ,
O. Vakkuri  and
L. Blomstedt
M. Valtonen
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Zoology and Veterinary Medicine, University of Kuopio, PO Box 1627, FIN-70211, Kuopio, Finland
O. Vakkuri
Affiliation:
Department of Physiology, University of Oulu, Kajaanintie 52 A, FIN-90220, Oulu, Finland
L. Blomstedt
Affiliation:
Department of Biosciences, Division of Animal Physiology, PO Box 17 (Arkadiankatu 7), FIN-00014University of Helsinki, Finland
Get access

Abstract

Quantitive collection of night-time urine every 2nd week was used to elucidate the temporal relationship between changes in melatonin production, weight gain, and priming of the winter pelage under natural light conditions and under a long photoperiod (18L: 6D) imposed at different times in four groups of female mink during autumn. In mink maintained outdoors under the natural photoperiod (group 1), melatonin excretion was 1·80 (s.d. 0·80) ng per night (no. = 3) at the beginning of September, thereafter it began to decrease slowly until November when it was only 0·62 (s.d. 0·32) ng per night. These mink had a normal autumn moult during the first half of October and the winter pelage was mature at the end of November. When mink maintained outdoors were transferred to 18L: 6D on 7 September (group 2), excretion of melatonin decreased promptly, autumn moult was disrupted and winter fur priming delayed. Long photoperiod after mid October (group 3), did not interfere with pelage maturation despite the decrease in melatonin production. Mink implanted with melatonin on 14 July (group 4) showed very high melatonin excretion in early September. In these animals the winter pelage growth was unaffected by the long-day conditions; the pelage matured in mid October. Body weight increased in mink of all groups during autumn. This increase levelled off or a weight loss (group 2) was seen along with the final hair maturation. Activation of hair follicles occurred during a 4 to 6 week period. According to these results, melatonin is the photoperiodic signal to autumnal weight increase and autumn moult but seems not to be necessary for later pelage growth and maturation.

Keywords

hairmelatoninminksphotoperiod
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 61 , Issue 3 , December 1995 , pp. 589 - 596
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allain, D. and Rougeot, J. 1980. Induction of autumn moult in mink (Mustela vison Peale and Beauvois) with melatonin. Reproduction Nutrition Developpment 20: 197–201.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bartness, T. J. and Wade, G. N. 1984. Photoperiodic control of body weight and energy metabolism in Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus): role of pineal gland, melatonin, gonads and diet. Endocrinology 114: 492–498.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Basset, F. C. and Llewellyn, L. M. 1949. The moulting and fur growth pattern in the adult mink. American Midland Naturalist 42: 751–756.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Blomstedt, L. 1989. Histological determination of different stages of pelage development. Fur growth of mink. Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica 39: 91–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boissin-Agasse, L., Barberis, C., Audigier, S., Roch, G. and Boissin, J. 1992. Localization of melatonin binding sites in the pars tuberalis of the mink at three times during the seasonal testicular cycle. Neuroscience Letters 144: 147–151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boissin-Agasse, L., Jacquet, J. M., Lacroix, A. and Boissin, J. 1988. Long-term effects of pinealectomy on testicular function, luteinizing hormone-releasing hypothalamic system, and plasma prolactin levels in the mink, a short-day breeder. Journal of Pineal Research 5: 385–396.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DiGregorio, G. B., Gonzales Reyna, A. and Murphy, B. D. 1994. Roles of melatonin and prolactin in testicular crudescence in mink (Mustela vison). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 102: 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DiGregorio, G. B. and Murphy, B. D. 1987. Furring in mink, the role of melatonin implants. Fur Rancher 67: 4–12.Google Scholar
Eloranta, E., Timisjarvi, J., Nieminen, M., Ojutkangas, V., Leppaluoto, J. and Vakkuri, O. 1992. Seasonal changes of diurnal melatonin rhythm in female reindeer and their calves. Endocrinology 130: 1645–1652.Google Scholar
Fellenberg, A. J., Phillipou, G. and Seamark, R. F. 1981. Urinary 6-sulfatoximelatonin excretion and melatonin production rate: studies in sheep and man. In Pineal function (ed. Mathews, C. D. and Seamark, R. F.), pp. 143–150. Elsevier, Amsterdam.Google Scholar
Korhonen, H. 1989. Seasonal regulation of weight loss in female farm mink. Journal of Animal Physiology and Animal Nutrition 63: 109–113.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lang, U., Kornemark, M., Aubert, M. L., Paunier, L. and Sizonenko, P. C. 1981. Radioimmunological determination of urinary melatonin in humans: correlation with plasma levels and typical 24-hour rhythmicity. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 53: 645–650.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martinet, L., Allain, D. and Weiner, C. 1984. Role of prolactin in the photoperiodic control of moulting in the mink (Mustela vison). Journal of Endocrinology 103: 9–15.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martinet, L., Mondain-Monval, M. and Monnerie, R. 1992. Endogenous circannual rhythms and photorefractoriness of testis activity, moult and prolactin concentrations in mink (Mustela vison). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 95: 325–338.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Maurel, D., Boissin-Agasse, L., Roch, G. and Boissin, J. 1992. Short-day stimulation of testicular activity and immunoreactivity of the hypothalamic GnRH system in mink following deafferentation of the pineal body by bilateral superior cervical ganglioectomy and melatonin replacement. Brain Research 578: 99–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Meunier, M., Brebion, P., Chene, N., Servely, J. -L. and Martinet, L. 1988. In vitro secretion of prolactin and growth hormone in the presence of melatonin by pituitary gland from mink kept under long or short days. Journal of Endocrinology 119: 287–292.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
National Research Council. 1982. Nutrient requirements of domestic animals. No. 7. Nutrient requirements of mink and foxes. 2nd ed. National Academy Press, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Pévet, P., Vivien-Roels, B. and Masson-Pévet, M. 1991. Annual changes in the daily pattern of melatonin synthesis and release. In Advances in pineal research (ed. Fraschini, F. and Reiter, R. J.), pp. 147–157.Google Scholar
Puchalski, W., Kliman, R. and Lynch, G. R. 1988. Differential effects of short day pretreatment on melatonin induced adjustments in Djungarian hamsters. Life Sciences 43: 1005–1012.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ravault, J. P., Martinet, L., Bonnefoud, C., Claustrat, B. and Brun, J. 1986. Diurnal variation of plasma melatonin concentrations in pregnant or pseudopregnant mink (Mustela vison) maintained under different photoperiods. Journal of Pineal Research 3: 365–373.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reiter, R. J. 1986. Normal patterns of melatonin levels in the pineal gland and body fluids of humans and experimental animals. Journal of Neural Transmission 21: suppl. pp. 25–54.Google ScholarPubMed
Rose, J., Garwood, T. and Jaber, B. 1995. Prolactin receptor concentrations in the skin of mink during the winter fur growth cycle. Journal of Experimental Zoology 271: 205–210.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rose, J., Oldfield, J. and Stormshak, F. 1987. Apparent role of melatonin and prolactin in initiating winter fur growth in mink. General and Comparative Endocrinology 65: 212–215.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rose, J., Stormshak, F., Oldfield, J. and Adair, J. 1984. Induction of winter fur growth in mink (Mustela vison) with melatonin. Journal of Animal Science 58: 57–61.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rose, J., Stormshak, F., Oldfield, J. and Adair, J. 1985. The effects of photoperiod and melatonin on serum prolactin level of mink during the autumn molt. Journal of Pineal Research 2: 13–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rust, C. C. and Meyer, R. K. 1969. Hair color, molt, and testis size in male, short tailed weasels treated with melatonin. Science, USA 165: 921–922.Google ScholarPubMed
Slayden, O. D., Adair, J. and Stormshak, F. 1989. Quality and colour of melatonin- and bromocriptine-induced winter fur growth in mink (Mustela vison) given a supplemented diet. Animal Production 49: 123–127.Google Scholar
Smale, L., Dark, J. and Zucker, I. 1988. Pineal and photoperiodic influences on fat deposition, pelage, and testicular activity in male meadow voles. Journal of Biological Rhythms 3: 349–355.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vakkuri, O., Lämsä, E., Rahkamaa, E., Ruotsalainen, H. and Leppäluoto, J. 1984b. Iodinated melatonin: preparation and characterisation of the molecular structure by mass and 1H NMR spectroscopy. Analytical Biochemistry 142: 284–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vakkuri, O., Leppäluoto, J. and Kauppila, A. 1985. Oral administration and distribution of melatonin in human serum, saliva and urine. Life Sciences 37: 489–495.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vakkuri, O., Leppäluoto, J. and Vuolteenaho, O. 1984a. Development and a melatonin radioimmunoassay using, radioiodinated melatonin as tracer. Ada Endocrinologica 106: 152–157.Google Scholar
Valtonen, M. and Blomstedt, L. 1988. Hair growth and skin metabolism in melatonin implanted mink. In Biology, pathology and genetics of fur bearing animals (ed. Murphy, B. D. and Hunter, D. B.), Proceedings of the fourth international congress in fur animal production, Rexdale, Ontario, Canada, pp. 494–501.Google Scholar
Valtonen, M., Blomstedt, L. and Jokivartio, K. 1986. Effects of melatonin in mink. Scientifur 10: 83.Google Scholar
Valtonen, M., Vakkuri, O. and Blomstedt, L. 1992. Circannual melatonin rhythm in mink and its significance in fur growth and reproduction. Norwegian Journal of Agricultural Sciences 9: suppl, pp. 586–592.Google Scholar
Wade, G. N. and Bartness, T. J. 1984. Seasonal obesity in Syrian hamsters: effects of age, diet, photoperiod, and melatonin. American Journal of Physiology 247: R328–R334.Google ScholarPubMed