ORIGINAL PAPER
Plasma prolactin changes in anoestrous ewes after
infusion of genistein into the third ventricle
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1
The Kielanowski Institute of Animal Physiology and Nutrition, Polish Academy of Sciences,
05-110 Jabłonna, Poland
2
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU),
Centre for Reproductive Biology in Uppsala (CRU),
P.O. Box 7011, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
Publication date: 2004-10-25
Corresponding author
A. Madej
Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU),
Centre for Reproductive Biology in Uppsala (CRU),
P.O. Box 7011, SE-750 07 Uppsala, Sweden
J. Anim. Feed Sci. 2004;13(4):605-613
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Genistein, one of isoflavones, is structurally similar to mammalian endogenous oestrogens,
which inhibit activity of tyrosine kinase, DNA topoisomerases, and possess antioxidant activity and
oestrogenic activity. The aim of the present work was to study effects of the central administration of
genistein on prolactin secretion in ewes during the seasonal anoestrus. The experiment was carried
out on twelve Polish Lowland ewes. Infusions of genistein into the third ventricle of ewes were
performed with calibrated 1.0-ml gas-tight syringes and a microinjection pump. Control infusions
(n=4) from 12.01 to 16.01 h were done with a Ringer-Locke solution at flow rate 100 μl/h. The
dose of genistein was 1 μg/100 μl/h (n = 6) and 10 μg/100 μl/h (n = 5) during 4-h infusions. Before
the infusions, differences in prolactin concentration between control and experimental animals were
insignificant. Prolactin concentrations were significantly (P<0.05) elevated after 2 h of genistein
infusion (1 μg/h) as compared with the control group. The higher dose of genistein (10 μg/h)
evoked an immediate increase of prolactin concentrations, which remained elevated (P<0.05) until
the end of samples collection at 20.00 h. There was also significant (P<0.05) difference in prolactin
concentrations, during the last 2 h of the blood collection, between ewes with different genistein doses.
In conclusion, centrally administered genistein, stimulate the secretion of prolactin in dose-dependent
manner in ewes during the seasonal anoestrus.