Asher G W, Barrell G K, Adam J L, Staples L D
Ruakura Agricultural Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Hamilton, New Zealand.
J Reprod Fertil. 1988 Nov;84(2):679-91. doi: 10.1530/jrf.0.0840679.
A total of 18 fallow does, including pubertal, non-pregnant and pregnant adult does (6 per class), each received a single subcutaneous implant containing 18 mg melatonin on 4 occasions at 29-30-day intervals from 10 November 1986 (approximately 120-day treatment period). A further 18 contemporary does served as herd-mate controls. Two adult fallow bucks were treated the same and were run with the does until 16 March. Thereafter, 1 of 4 control bucks was run with the does until 1 June. Of the 6 pregnant does receiving implants within the last 40 days of their gestation, 4 failed to lactate after parturition in December 1986. The remaining 2 does successfully reared their fawns, as did the 6 contemporary controls. Mean (+/- s.e.m.) dates of first oestrus in 1987 were 27.6 February (+/- 3.0 days) and 22.9 April (+/- 0.8 days) for all treated and all control does respectively (P less than 0.001). Pubertal does were generally later to exhibit first oestrus than were older does within their respective treatment groups. Return oestrus occurred only in 2 pubertal does (1 treated and 1 control) with remaining does conceiving to their first oestrus, as verified by plasma progesterone profiles. However, 5 (28%) of the treated does and 3 (17%) of the control does failed to maintain pregnancy and fawn in 1987. The mean (+/- s.e.m.) 1987 fawning date of the remaining does was 22.4 October (+/- 2.7 days) for the treated group (N = 13) and 13.1 December (+/- 0.8 days) for the control group (N = 15; P less than 0.001). Mean (+/- s.e.m.) gestation length of treated does (238.9 +/- 0.6 days) was significantly longer than that of control does (234.5 +/- 0.4 days; P less than 0.001). Of 13 fawns born to treated does, 4 (31%) died within 24 h of birth (mainly due to hypothermia) whereas all 15 fawns born to control does survived to weaning. Melatonin-treated bucks exhibited a marked advancement of neck muscle hypertrophy during the treatment period and displayed normal rutting activity (e.g. vocalization) in response to early oestrus in the treated does.
总共18只成年母鹿，包括青春期、未怀孕和怀孕的成年母鹿（每组6只），从1986年11月10日起，每隔29 - 30天接受一次皮下植入，每次植入含18毫克褪黑素，共进行4次（治疗期约120天）。另有18只同期母鹿作为同群对照。2只成年雄性小鹿也接受同样治疗，并与母鹿一起饲养至3月16日。此后，4只对照雄鹿中的1只与母鹿一起饲养至6月1日。在妊娠最后40天内接受植入的6只怀孕母鹿中，有4只在1986年12月分娩后未能泌乳。其余2只母鹿成功哺育了幼鹿，6只同期对照母鹿也是如此。1987年所有接受治疗和所有对照母鹿首次发情的平均（±标准误）日期分别为2月27.6日（±3.0天）和4月22.9日（±0.8天）（P<0.001）。在各自治疗组中，青春期母鹿通常比年龄较大的母鹿更晚出现首次发情。只有2只青春期母鹿（1只治疗组和1只对照组）出现返情，其余母鹿首次发情即受孕，血浆孕酮水平证实了这一点。然而，1987年，5只（28%）接受治疗的母鹿和3只（17%）对照母鹿未能维持妊娠并产下幼鹿。其余母鹿1987年产仔的平均（±标准误）日期，治疗组（N = 13）为10月22.4日（±2.7天），对照组（N = 15）为12月13.1日（±0.8天）（P<0.001）。接受治疗的母鹿平均（±标准误）妊娠期（238.9±0.6天）显著长于对照母鹿（234.5±0.4天；P<0.001）。接受治疗的母鹿所生的13只幼鹿中，4只（31%）在出生后24小时内死亡（主要由于体温过低），而对照母鹿所生的15只幼鹿全部存活至断奶。接受褪黑素治疗的雄鹿在治疗期间颈部肌肉肥大明显提前，并对接受治疗的母鹿早期发情表现出正常的发情行为（如鸣叫）。
