Janik D S, Buntin J D
J Endocrinol. 1985 May;105(2):201-9. doi: 10.1677/joe.0.1050201.
The role of prolactin in the maintenance of incubation behaviour in ring doves was re-examined and the dose-response relationships for behavioural, target tissue and body weight changes induced by injections of prolactin were compared in doves tested during the incubation phase of the breeding cycle. Doves given injections of prolactin twice a day starting on day 4 of incubation, during a 10-day period of isolation from their mates and nests, showed a higher persistence of incubation behaviour than doves injected with saline vehicle. However, the prolactin treatment failed to maintain incubation behaviour to the same extent as that observed in non-isolated untreated breeding pairs. Liver and body weights were higher and testicular weights lower in birds treated with high doses of prolactin than in non-isolated birds which had been incubating for 14 days. Good dose-response relationships were established between body, liver, crop and testes weights and the dose of prolactin administered. However, only a weak dose-response relationship was observed between prolactin and the maintenance of incubation behaviour. Overall, females injected with prolactin displayed more quiet sitting behaviour, less body weight gain and more gonadal regression than males injected with prolactin. Males in untreated breeding pairs had higher liver weights and lower crop weights than females. It is concluded that prolactin plays a role in maintaining readiness to incubate in doves, but that other factors may also contribute to this response. Further, it appears that prolactin mediates several target tissue changes which are sex-specific during incubation.
重新研究了催乳素在环颈鸽维持孵卵行为中的作用，并比较了在繁殖周期的孵卵阶段接受测试的鸽子中，注射催乳素所引起的行为、靶组织和体重变化的剂量反应关系。从孵卵第4天开始，在与配偶和巢穴隔离的10天期间，每天给鸽子注射两次催乳素，与注射生理盐水的鸽子相比，这些鸽子表现出更高的孵卵行为持续性。然而，催乳素处理未能将孵卵行为维持到与未隔离的未处理繁殖对所观察到的相同程度。与已孵卵14天的未隔离鸟类相比，高剂量催乳素处理的鸟类肝脏和体重更高，睾丸重量更低。在体重、肝脏、嗉囊和睾丸重量与所给予的催乳素剂量之间建立了良好的剂量反应关系。然而，在催乳素与孵卵行为维持之间仅观察到微弱的剂量反应关系。总体而言，注射催乳素的雌性比注射催乳素的雄性表现出更多安静坐立行为、体重增加更少和性腺退化更多。未处理繁殖对中的雄性比雌性肝脏重量更高，嗉囊重量更低。得出的结论是，催乳素在维持鸽子的孵卵准备状态中起作用，但其他因素也可能促成这种反应。此外，似乎催乳素介导了孵卵期间一些具有性别特异性的靶组织变化。
