Treatment of lactating sows with the dopamine agonist Cabergoline: effects on LH and prolactin secretion and responses to challenges with naloxone and morphine.

This study was conducted to examine the effects of chronic administration of a long-acting dopamine agonist, Cabergoline, on LH and prolactin secretion during lactation in the sow. The effect of the administration of the opioid antagonist naloxone and the agonist morphine in Cabergoline treated animals was also evaluated. In Part I of the experiment, 16 sows were treated as either CONT sows (n = 4; control, no treatment); CAB sows (n = 4; treated with Cabergoline from days 10 to 26 of lactation); CAB + NAL sows (n = 4; received Cabergoline treatment and naloxone challenges); CAB + MORP sows (n = 4; treated with Cabergoline and morphine challenges). Plasma LH and prolactin concentrations were measured in blood samples taken from all sows during 6-h periods at days 12, 19 and 26 of lactation. To extend the results at the most critical response period at day 26, another 11 sows were allocated in Part II to either Control (n = 3), Cabergoline (n = 4) or Cabergoline and morphine (n = 4) treatments as for Part I, but the effect of treatments were only confirmed in a single period of sampling at day 26 of lactation. Cabergoline treatment alone increased (P < 0.001) mean plasma LH concentrations at day 26 but not at days 12 and 16 of lactation. In contrast, naloxone challenges given in the presence of Cabergoline treatment increased (P < 0.05) mean LH at days 12 and 19 of lactation but not at day 26. Morphine challenges in the presence of Cabergoline treatment decreased (P < 0.05) mean LH concentrations only at day 26 of lactation, but did not completely reverse the effect of Cabergoline. No treatment differences in plasma oestradiol-17 beta were detected at any time. Plasma prolactin decreased (P < 0.001) in response to treatment with Cabergoline but there were no additional effects of naloxone or morphine. These data provide evidence for the existence of dopaminergic and opioidergic regulation of LH secretion in lactation in the sow and the relative influence of these systems changes as lactation progresses. Furthermore, the data suggest that the stimulatory effect of Cabergoline treatment on LH secretion in late lactation may be mediated by its effects on an inhibitory opioidergic mechanism. Finally, the data provide conclusive proof that prolactin does not directly influence LH secretion or estrogenic activity of the ovary during lactation in the sow.