Kierdorf U, Schultz M, Fischer K
I. Zoologisches Institut, Universität Göttingen, Germany.
J Exp Zool. 1993 Jul 1;266(3):195-205. doi: 10.1002/jez.1402660305.
Weekly application of the antiandrogen cyproteron acetate (CA) to 3 adult (group 1, treatment starting 3 weeks prior to the rut) and 4 subadult (group 2, treatment starting after the rut) fallow bucks led to premature antler casting after about 9 weeks (group 1) or 16 to 17 days (group 2). Variation in time span between onset of CA administration and induced casting (in late November/early December) is attributed to age- and season-dependent differences in androgen levels before and during the treatment period. Casting surfaces of the antlers were flat. In all bucks, casting was followed by a complete though shortened antler cycle, occurring under short day conditions. In February/March velvet was shed from the antlers, indicating a rise in plasma androgen levels at that time. At time of fraying, antlers exhibited signs of immaturity and were shorter than normal. In the most pronounced case of immaturity, the antlers consisted mainly of cancellous woven bone, revealing that bone remodeling and antler mineralization had not occurred to a larger extent. These observations prove that onset of fraying behaviour does not depend on prior maturation of antler bone or necrosis of velvet. Occurrence of the additional antler cycle in late autumn and winter had no negative effect on subsequent antler formation starting in the following spring.
每周给3只成年（第1组，在发情期前3周开始治疗）和4只亚成年（第2组，在发情期后开始治疗）雄性黇鹿施用抗雄激素醋酸环丙孕酮（CA），约9周后（第1组）或16至17天后（第2组）导致鹿茸过早脱落。CA给药开始至诱导脱落（11月下旬/12月初）之间的时间跨度变化归因于治疗期之前和期间雄激素水平的年龄和季节依赖性差异。鹿茸的脱落表面是平的。在所有雄性黇鹿中，脱落后紧接着是一个完整但缩短的鹿茸周期，该周期在短日照条件下发生。2月/3月鹿茸上的鹿茸皮脱落，表明此时血浆雄激素水平升高。在鹿茸磨损时，鹿茸表现出不成熟的迹象且比正常的短。在最明显的不成熟情况下，鹿茸主要由松质编织骨组成，这表明骨重塑和鹿茸矿化在很大程度上并未发生。这些观察结果证明，鹿茸磨损行为的开始并不取决于鹿茸骨的先前成熟或鹿茸皮的坏死。秋末和冬季额外鹿茸周期的出现对次年春季开始的后续鹿茸形成没有负面影响。
