Prolactin and growth hormone stimulate food intake in ring doves.

Ingestive behavior and body weight were measured in male and female ring doves given twice daily subcutaneous injections of ovine prolactin (7 mg/kg/day) or vehicle and in male doves given daily intracerebroventricular (ICV) injections of ovine prolactin at doses ranging from 0.1 to 2.0 micrograms/day. Changes induced by ICV administration of turkey prolactin, turkey growth hormone, ovine growth hormone, human growth hormone, and vehicle were also examined. Subcutaneous injections of ovine prolactin markedly increased food intake and body weight in both sexes. Similar effects occurred in dose-related fashion in male doves given ICV injections of ovine prolactin. The three growth hormone preparations also increased feeding and body weight significantly, but turkey prolactin was ineffective in this regard. Changes in drinking generally paralleled feeding patterns but were less pronounced and may have been secondary to feeding changes. We conclude that feeding in this species is strongly stimulated by some prolactin and growth hormone preparations. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying these effects remain to be clarified.