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Article << Previous     |     Next >>   Contents Vol 20(5)

Control of the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) anterior pituitary-gonadal axis with analogues of GnRH

Camryn D. Allen A H, Michelle Burridge B, Mandy L. Chafer B, Vere N. Nicolson B, Sophia C. Jago B, Rosemary J. Booth C, Grant Fraser C, Traza-Jade Ensabella C, Yeng Peng Zee A, Geoff Lundie-Jenkins C, William V. Holt D, Allan T. Lisle E, Frank N. Carrick F, Jonathan D. Curlewis G, Michael J. D’ Occhio A, Stephen D. Johnston A

A School of Animal Studies, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.
B Dreamworld, Coomera, Queensland 4209, Australia.
C Environmental Protection Agency, Brisbane, Queensland 4000, Australia.
D Institute of Zoology, Regents Park, London NW1 4RY, England.
E School of Land, Crop and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
F Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
G School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia.
H Corresponding author. Email: callen@salk.edu
 
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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to determine whether analogues of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) could be used to both induce an acute testosterone response and suppress anterior pituitary function in male koalas, and induce a luteal phase in female koalas. Experiment 1 characterised the steroidogenic response of male koalas to administration of 30 μg (4.3 μg kg–1) natural-sequence GnRH. Intra-muscular injection of natural-sequence GnRH induced the release of LH and testosterone with peak concentrations at 30 min (3.7 ± 1.9 ng mL–1) and 2 h (5.4 ± 0.5 ng mL–1), respectively. In Experiment 2, a single injection of the GnRH antagonist acyline (100 μg (14.3 μg kg–1) or 500 μg (71.4 μg kg–1)) did not influence the testosterone response to subsequent injections of natural-sequence GnRH. In Experiment 3, 4 μg (~0.67 μg kg–1) of the GnRH agonist buserelin induced a luteal phase in five female koalas based on a LH surge, secretion of progestogen, and a normal-length oestrous cycle. The findings have shown that (1) natural-sequence GnRH can be used to test gonadotroph cell function and determine the testosterone-secreting capacity of male koalas, (2) the GnRH antagonist, acyline, at the dose rates used, does not suppress the pituitary-testis axis in male koalas, and (3) the GnRH agonist, buserelin, induces a normal luteal phase in female koalas.

Keywords: acyline, buserelin, GnRH agonist, GnRH antagonist, LH, natural-sequence GnRH, progestogen, Receptal, testosterone.


   
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