Inhibition of testicular development by suppressing neonatal LH rise in male domestic pigs

Inhibition of testicular development by suppressing neonatal LH rise in male domestic pigs

The neonatal increase in circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) is crucial for testicular development. In male pigs, blood LH levels start to increase approximately 1 week after birth and return to basal level by 5–6 weeks of age. This study tested the hypothesis that neonatal treatment with a combina...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Animal reproduction science Vol. 270; p. 107606
Main Authors: Park, ChanJin, Soto-Heras, Sandra, Reinacher, Lindsey, Chai, Katie, Zhou, Sherry, Lin, Po-Ching, Oh, Ji-Eun, Bunnell, Mary, Hess, Rex A., de França, Luiz Renato, Ko, CheMyong
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01-11-2024
Subjects:
Androgen
Animals
Animals, Newborn
Castration
Estradiol - blood
Estrogen
Luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing Hormone - blood
Male
Orchiectomy - veterinary
Pig
Swine - physiology
Testis - drug effects
Testis - growth & development
Testis development
Testosterone - blood
Trenbolone Acetate - administration & dosage
Trenbolone Acetate - analogs & derivatives
Trenbolone Acetate - pharmacology
Testis development
Luteinizing hormone
Castration
Androgen
Estrogen
Pig
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Summary:The neonatal increase in circulating luteinizing hormone (LH) is crucial for testicular development. In male pigs, blood LH levels start to increase approximately 1 week after birth and return to basal level by 5–6 weeks of age. This study tested the hypothesis that neonatal treatment with a combination of estrogens and androgens suppresses LH secretion and thereby inhibits testicular development. On Day 1 after birth, piglets received a slow-release implant containing estradiol (E2, 8–40 mg) and trenbolone acetate (TBA, 40–200 mg) or remained intact. At 4 weeks of age, mean serum LH concentrations were ∼ 7 ng/mL in untreated males, whereas pigs with implants had serum LH concentrations < 1 ng/mL. Despite this reduction, LH was still detected in the pituitary glands of treated pigs. Interestingly, neonatal castration also lowered circulating LH, highlighting the importance of testis physiology in the early establishment of the reproductive axis. The higher dose (20 mg E2 + 100 mg TBA) inhibited testis function more effectively, as evidenced by lower circulating testosterone concentrations compared to intact pigs. Furthermore, E2 + TBA treatment had a lasting impact on testicular growth, resulting in smaller testes at 26 weeks of age and the presence of immature Leydig cells. Overall, neonatal E2 + TBA treatment suppressed the postnatal LH rise and testicular growth until market age, offering a potential non-surgical alternative to castration in male pigs. •Neonatal male pigs exhibit a surge in LH levels in their circulation lasting 5 weeks.•Neonatal castration inhibits postnatal LH surge in male pigs.•Temporal exposure to estrogen and androgen inhibits postnatal LH rise in male pigs.
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ISSN:0378-4320
1873-2232
1873-2232
DOI:10.1016/j.anireprosci.2024.107606