TY - JOUR
T1 - Precocious puberty in tamoxifen-treated cockerels
T2 - Hypothalamic gonadotrophin-releasing hormone-i and plasma luteinising hormone, prolactin, growth hormone and testosterone
AU - Rozenboim, I.
AU - Snapir, N.
AU - Arnon, E.
AU - Aryeh, R. Ben
AU - Robinzon, B.
PY - 1993
Y1 - 1993
N2 - 1. The administration of the anti-oestrogen, tamoxifen (TAM) to juvenile chicks results in precocious puberty. In the present study the effects of TAM administration (1 mg/kg body weight on alternate days from 12 d of age) on testicular function, hypothalamic chicken gonadotropin-re-leasing hormone (cGn-RH-I), plasma luteinising hormone (LH), growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and testosterone were studied in juvenile White Leghorn cockerels. 2. The increase in hypothalamic GnRH-I content which occurs during sexual development was advanced in TAM-treated birds, in association with precocious testicular development, an early rise of plasma testosterone content and enhanced comb growth. 3. Plasma LH concentrations behaved similarly and were higher in the TAM-treated than in control birds, during most of the experimental period. Plasma PRL concentration, which is high at hatching, decreased more quickly in TAM-treated than in control birds; plasma GH values were not consistently affected by TAM treatment. 4. Both the growth and the involution of the bursa of Fabricius in the TAM-treated cockerels preceded that in the control chicks. 5. It is concluded that TAM treatment induces precocious puberty in the cockerel by blocking the negative feedback action of aromatised testicular androgens on the hypothalamus.
AB - 1. The administration of the anti-oestrogen, tamoxifen (TAM) to juvenile chicks results in precocious puberty. In the present study the effects of TAM administration (1 mg/kg body weight on alternate days from 12 d of age) on testicular function, hypothalamic chicken gonadotropin-re-leasing hormone (cGn-RH-I), plasma luteinising hormone (LH), growth hormone (GH), prolactin (PRL) and testosterone were studied in juvenile White Leghorn cockerels. 2. The increase in hypothalamic GnRH-I content which occurs during sexual development was advanced in TAM-treated birds, in association with precocious testicular development, an early rise of plasma testosterone content and enhanced comb growth. 3. Plasma LH concentrations behaved similarly and were higher in the TAM-treated than in control birds, during most of the experimental period. Plasma PRL concentration, which is high at hatching, decreased more quickly in TAM-treated than in control birds; plasma GH values were not consistently affected by TAM treatment. 4. Both the growth and the involution of the bursa of Fabricius in the TAM-treated cockerels preceded that in the control chicks. 5. It is concluded that TAM treatment induces precocious puberty in the cockerel by blocking the negative feedback action of aromatised testicular androgens on the hypothalamus.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0027637063&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00071669308417608
DO - 10.1080/00071669308417608
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C2 - 8358640
AN - SCOPUS:0027637063
SN - 0007-1668
VL - 34
SP - 533
EP - 542
JO - British Poultry Science
JF - British Poultry Science
IS - 3
ER -