Ryan K D, Robinson S L
Biol Reprod. 1987 Mar;36(2):333-9. doi: 10.1095/biolreprod36.2.333.
Although ferrets are long-day breeders, females reared exclusively in nonstimulatory short days will undergo spontaneous sexual maturation by 30-50 wk of age. In the following report, this spontaneous sexual maturation of ferrets was studied to determine mechanisms regulating sexual maturation in nonstimulatory photoperiods. Study of ovariectomized females treated with low, constant levels of estradiol suggest that a marked decrease in the efficacy of estradiol to inhibit luteinizing hormone secretion occurs shortly before sexual maturity becomes evident in intact controls (both groups housed in short days). During this long juvenile period, a marked increase in body weight occurred, but ovarian responsiveness to exogenous gonadotropin did not change. Older, larger females did respond more rapidly to stimulatory photoperiod than did younger females. These studies suggest that the mechanisms of spontaneous puberty in ferrets are likely the same as those regulating photoperiod-stimulated puberty in this species.
尽管雪貂是长日照繁殖动物，但仅在非刺激性短日照条件下饲养的雌性雪貂在30至50周龄时会经历自发性性成熟。在以下报告中，对雪貂的这种自发性性成熟进行了研究，以确定在非刺激性光周期中调节性成熟的机制。对用低水平、恒定剂量雌二醇处理的去卵巢雌性雪貂的研究表明，在完整对照组（两组均饲养在短日照条件下）性成熟明显出现之前不久，雌二醇抑制促黄体生成素分泌的效力显著下降。在这个较长的幼年期，体重显著增加，但卵巢对外源性促性腺激素的反应性没有变化。年龄较大、体型较大的雌性雪貂对刺激性光周期的反应比年轻雌性雪貂更快。这些研究表明，雪貂自发性青春期的机制可能与该物种中调节光周期刺激青春期的机制相同。
