scholarly journals Androgen receptors are only present in mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla cells of red deer (Cervus elaphus) neck follicles when raised androgens induce a mane in the breeding season

2001 ◽  
Vol 168 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Thornton ◽  
NA Hibberts ◽  
T Street ◽  
BR Brinklow ◽  
AS Loudon ◽  
...  

Red deer stags produce an androgen-dependent mane of long hairs only in the breeding season; in the non-breeding season, when circulating androgen levels are low, the neck hair resembles the rest of the coat. This study was designed to determine whether androgen receptors are present in deer follicles throughout the year or only in the mane (neck) follicles when circulating testosterone levels are high in the breeding season. Although androgens regulate much human hair growth the mechanisms are not well understood; they are believed to act on the hair follicle epithelium via the mesenchyme-derived dermal papilla. The location of androgen receptors in the follicle was investigated by immunohistochemistry and androgen binding was measured biochemically in cultured dermal papilla cells derived from mane and flank follicles during the breeding season and from neck follicles during the non-breeding season. Immunohistochemistry of frozen skin sections using a polyclonal antibody to the androgen receptor localised nuclear staining only in the dermal papilla cells of mane follicles. Saturation analysis assays of 14 primary dermal papilla cell lines using [(3)H]-mibolerone demonstrated high-affinity, low-capacity androgen receptors were present only in mane (breeding season neck) cells; competition studies with other steroids confirmed the specificity of the receptors. Androgen receptors were not detectable in cells from either the breeding season flank nor the non-breeding season neck follicles. The unusual biological model offered by red deer of androgen-dependent hair being produced on the neck in the breeding, but not the non-breeding season, has allowed confirmation that androgen receptors are required in follicle dermal papilla cells for an androgen response; this concurs with previous human studies. In addition, the absence of receptors in the non-breeding season follicles demonstrates that receptors are not expressed unless the follicle is responding to androgens. Androgen receptors may be induced in mane follicles by seasonal changes in circulating hormone(s).

1993 ◽  
Vol 101 (s1) ◽  
pp. 114S-120S ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Anne Randall ◽  
Margaret Julie Thornton ◽  
Andrew Guy Messenger ◽  
Nigel Andrew Hibberts ◽  
Andrew Stewart Irving Loudon ◽  
...  

1993 ◽  
Vol 101 (1) ◽  
pp. S114-S120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valerie Anne Randall ◽  
Margaret Julie Thornton ◽  
Andrew Guy Messenger ◽  
Nigel Andrew Hibberts ◽  
Andrew Stewart Irving Loudon ◽  
...  

2006 ◽  
Vol 642 (1) ◽  
pp. 448-451 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. HODGINS ◽  
R. CHOUDHRY ◽  
G. PARKER ◽  
R. F. OLIVER ◽  
C. A. B. JAHODA ◽  
...  

1977 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 288-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Attramadal ◽  
Oddvar Naess ◽  
Egil Haug ◽  
Vidar Hansson ◽  
Ken Purvis

ABSTRACT The androgen receptor system in prolactin secreting oestrogen induced pituitary tumours has been studied. The tumour cytosol was found to contain specific androgen receptors binding [3H]5α-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and [3H] testosterone (T) with high affinity and low capacity. Scatchard analysis of the saturation data for T revealed one class of high affinity binding sites. The equilibrium constant of dissociation (Kd) was ∼ 4 × 10−10 m and the number of binding sites was calculated to be 12.8 femtomoles/mg protein. The sedimentation coefficient of the androgen receptor complex in low salt sucrose gradients was ∼ 7 S, the electrophoretic mobility (RF) in 3.25 % polyacrylamide gels ∼ 0.5 and the isoelectric point 5.8. The protein nature of the receptor was indicated by the finding that protease, but not DNase and RNase, eliminated androgen binding. Furthermore, the receptor was thermolabile and functionally dependent on free SH-groups since androgen binding was eliminated by heating 45°C for 30 min) and treatment with p-chloromercuriphenyl sulphonate (1 mm). Steroid specificity was tested in vitro by examining the competing efficiency of different unlabelled steroids for the binding of [3H]T. The affinity of DHT for the receptor was approximately twice that of testosterone while the binding affinity of oestradiol-17β and progesterone was very low. Cortisol had no affinity for the androgen receptor. The dissociation of the androgen receptor complex was very slow at 0°C (t ½ > 48 h). Thus, the characteristics of the cytoplasmic androgen receptors of the prolactin producing pituitary tumours are very similar to those of the androgen receptors earlier demonstrated in the anterior pituitary, hypothalamus, ventral prostate, epididymis and testis. The presence of specific androgen receptors in prolactin producing pituitary tumours indicates that androgen is involved in the regulation of synthesis and release of prolactin.


1987 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 330-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clare L. Adam ◽  
Carol E. Moir

The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is a seasonal breeder, mating mainly in October and calving in June. This timing is advantageous to wild deer on the hill in that the relatively high nutritional demands of lactation may be met from the abundance of summer vegetation. On low-ground pastures, however, there is an earlier start to the grazing season and the deer farmer may benefit from being able to advance calving dates. Recent research work has shown that exogenous hormone therapy can advance the breeding season in female red deer (Adam and Atkinson, 1984; Adam, Moir and Atkinson, 1985; Nowak, Elmhirst Webster and Barrell, conception and hence and Rodway, 1985; Webster; and Barrell, 1985) and that conception and hence calving dates can indeed also be advanced (Adam, 1985; Adam, Moir and Atkinson, 1986). This paper reports the effects of birth date on the performance of suckled calves and their dams under farm conditions.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Locatelli ◽  
J.-C. Vallet ◽  
G. Baril ◽  
J.-L. Touzé ◽  
A. Hendricks ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to assess the in vivo competence of in vitro-produced sika deer (Cervus nippon nippon) embryos after freezing–thawing and transfer into red deer (Cervus elaphus hippelaphus) recipients. During the breeding season, 11 adult sika deer hinds were synchronized as oocyte donors with an intravaginal sponge (45 mg of fluorogestone acetate, FGA) inserted for 12 days and removed immediately after laparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU), and renewed after 3 days. Ovarian stimulation was induced with an i.m. injection of 75 µg of cloprostenol (Estrumate) given on Day 8, followed by 3 i.m. injections of 0.1, 0.1, and 0.05 IU of ovine FSH (Ovagen) on Days 10 and 11 at 12-h intervals. On Day 12, hinds were anesthetized and oocytes were collected by LOPU from follicles >2 mm using an 18 G needle under moderate vacuum. COC were recovered and morphologically evaluated for quality (graded from 1 to 5). COC were then submitted to in vitro maturation, fertilization, and culture (IVM, IVF, and IVC) as described previously (Locatelli Y et al. 2005 Theriogenology 64, 1729–1739). For IVC, embryos were co-cultured with a monolayer of ovine oviduct epithelial cells in synthetic oviduct fluid medium supplemented with 10% FCS. On Day 8 post-insemination, all sika deer embryos at the blastocyst stage were cryopreserved via a standard bovine slow-freezing protocol. Of 44 LOPU sessions performed during the 1-month study, an average of 7.5 � 0.38 follicles were aspirated (mean � SEM), allowing the recovery of 3.65 � 0.38 COC per hind and per session, of which 80.0% were suitable for IVM (grades 1 and 2). Of 142 oocytes recovered, 57 cleaved after IVF (40.1%), and 14 embryos (24.6% of cleaved) reached the blastocyst stage after 8 days. At the end of the breeding season, 7 adult red deer hinds were synchronized as embryo recipients by inserting 2 intravaginal sponges per female (90 mg of FGA), for 13 days. Injections (i.m.) of 400 IU of eCG and 125 µg of cloprostenol (Estrumate) were administered 72 h before sponge removal. At Day 8 after sponge removal, straws containing frozen embryos were thawed and cryoprotectant was removed as described previously (see Locatelli Y et al. 2005 Theriogenology 64, 1729–1739). Two sika deer embryos were surgically transferred into uterine horn (unilaterally) of each red deer recipient. One of 7 red deer recipients was diagnosed pregnant by ultrasonography on Day 56. A healthy male sika deer fawn was born unassisted after 224 days of gestation. No complications were observed in initial recognition of the sika deer fawn by the red deer surrogate mother, nor in subsequent interactions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an interspecific pregnancy obtained after in vitro embryo production and embryo transfer in deer species. In conclusion, interspecific embryo transfer after IVP may represent a useful tool for the preservation and amplification of captive residual populations of endangered deer species. Further studies are required to increase the rate of cleavage after LOPU-IVF as well as viability of frozen–thawed IVP embryos.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 224
Author(s):  
José Antonio Ortiz ◽  
Olga García-Álvarez ◽  
Mariano Amo-Salas ◽  
Alejandro Maroto-Morales ◽  
María Iniesta-Cuerda ◽  
...  

The aim of this study was to assess the effect of melatonin implants on the reproductive performance of yearling Iberian red deer (Cervus elaphus hispanicus) hinds. It also explored exogenous melatonin administration as a tool to minimize the negative effect of a low yearling hind’s liveweight on their reproductive efficiency. In addition, the effect of melatonin-treated yearling hinds on non-treated hinds was studied in order to provide a practical and economical protocol to improve farms’ productivity. A total of 4520 Iberian red deer hinds belonging to the same farm were included in this study. Melatonin (108 mg/hind) implants were administered three-fold every 30 days before the breeding season. Fertility rates, calves’ weights and calving dates were registered for each hind. The results showed that exogenous melatonin increased significantly (p < 0.05) the calves’ weight (32.39 ± 1.07 kg vs. 27.65 ± 1.11 kg for Weight 1calf (July) and 46.59 ± 1.50 kg vs. 41.79 ± 1.54 kg for Weight 2calf (August, at weaning)) and advanced the calving date by 15 days in yearling hinds compared to the non-treated group. In addition, the administration of melatonin implants before the breeding season was able to minimize the negative effect of low yearling hinds’ liveweight (Weight 1hind) on their future reproductive outcomes, as the fertility rates increased by 46% and the calves’ weight increased by 7 kg after the melatonin treatment, regardless of the yearlings’ weight. Finally, when both experimental groups (melatonin and non-treated) were kept separate, higher fertility rates (76.73 ± 7.18% vs. 66.94 ± 7.41%) were observed for the melatonin-treated hinds compared to the non-treated hinds. However, when both groups of yearling hinds were maintained together, no significant differences were observed in their fertility outcomes (78.13 ± 21.26% vs. 78.12 ± 23.32%). Therefore, melatonin implants may be used in yearling Iberian red deer hinds as a management tool to improve their reproductive productivity.


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