Role of the pineal gland in male rats chronically exposed to increased temperature

Magal, Ella; Kaplanski, Jacob; Sod‐Moriah, U. A.; Hirschmann, N.; Nir, I.

doi:10.1007/bf01249147

Cited by 18 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…Continuous exposure to heat (35 °C) caused a significant reduction in body weight of rats as previously found by Sod-Moriah and Pollack [1970] in female, and Magal et al [1981] in male rats. A further significant reduction in body weight was evident in pinealectomized rats exposed to high ambient temperature, when compared to that of their sham-operated peers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

“…Serum LH levels in the oestral females were unaffected by heat exposure, in contrast with findings in males [Magal et al, 1981]. Concomitantly, a significantly lower pitu itary LH content was noted in the rats ex posed to heat after pinealectomy.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 39%

“…Recently, we have suggested that in male rats the pineal may play a modulating role in the effect of high ambient temperature on the endocrine system [Magal et al, 1981]. Here, we report on the effects of prolonged heat exposure on the endocrine system of female rats and their relationship to the pineal gland.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Effect of Pinealectomy on Heat-Induced Endocrine Changes in Female Rats

Magal¹,

Kaplanski

Sod‐Moriah³

et al. 1983

Horm Res

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Exposure of pinealectomized rats to high ambient temperature (35 °C; PXH) brought about a diminution in pituitary weight and LH content when compared to their sham-operated peers (35 °C) or to pinealectomized controls (22 °C). Serum corticosterone level of PXH rats was significantly depressed while heat or pinealectomy alone had no effect. Mean oestrous cycle length was prolonged and blood serum progesterone was increased in the heat-exposed rats. However, the extended oestrous cycles and elevated serum progesterone levels of heat-exposed rats were depressed or abolished by pineal ablation. Thus, the pineal appears to exert a moderating effect on heat-induced endocrine changes in female rats. No changes were noticed in uterine and ovarian weights corrected for body weights either on the day of vaginal opening, at occurrence of the oestrous phase expressed as percentage of total oestrous cycle, or in N-acetyltransferase and hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase activities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 59%

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 39%

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Effect of Pinealectomy on Heat-Induced Endocrine Changes in Female Rats

Magal¹,

Kaplanski

Sod‐Moriah³

et al. 1983

Horm Res

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“…Thus, it may be suggested that presence of the pineal in the hamster may serve as a protective element against heat-induced testicular damage, as evidenced by regular spermatogenesis and lack of recognizable histological damage, despite reduced testes weight in the heat-exposed hamster. It should be stressed that this phenomenon is completely different from that seen in the rat, where testicular weight is not reduced, in males exposed to increased ambient temperature (Magal et al, 1981) but spermatogenesis is arrested (Sod-Moriah etal., 1974).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…These effects were more prominent in rats that had undergone pinealectomy, suggesting a possible role for the pineal gland in moderating heat-induced changes in reproductive processes (Magal et aL, 1981).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The pineal and endocrine changes in heat exposed male hamsters

Kaplanski¹,

Magal

Sod‐Moriah

et al. 1983

J. Neural Transmission

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SummaryDecreased testicular weight with damaged seminiferous tubules were observed in hamsters pinealectomized and exposed continuously to high ambient temperature. In hamsters with intact pineals, exposure to heat resulted in reduced testicular weight without recognizable histological damage. In both groups, serum testosterone levels were elevated, evidently through a compensatory mechanism in the interstitial cells, which did not appear to be damaged. Concomitantly with these findings, reduced serum LH, and pituitary LH and proclactin concentrations were encountered in the heat-exposed pinealectomized hamsters, compared to those of their heat-exposed sham-operated counterparts.These results in hamsters reaffirm a previous postulation of a moderating, protective role for the pineal, against adverse effects of prolonged exposure to heat, in rodents.

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Endocrinology of year‐round reproduction in a highly seasonal habitat: Environmental variability in testosterone and glucocorticoids in baboon males

Gesquiere

Onyango

Alberts

et al. 2010

American J Phys Anthropol

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In conditions characterized by energetic constraints, such as in periods of low food availability, some trade-offs between reproduction and self-maintenance may be necessary; even year-round breeders may then be forced to exhibit some reproductive seasonality. Prior research has largely focused on female reproduction and physiology, and few studies have evaluated the impact of environmental factors on males. Here we assessed the effects of season and ambient temperatures on fecal glucocorticoid (fGC) and testosterone (fT) levels in male baboons in Amboseli, Kenya. The Amboseli basin is a highly challenging, semi-arid tropical habitat that is characterized by strongly seasonal patterns of rainfall and by high ambient temperatures. We previously reported that female baboons were impacted by these challenging environmental conditions. We ask here whether male baboons in the same environment and groups as females exhibit similar physiological effects. We found that after accounting for male age and individual variability, males exhibited higher fGC levels and lower fT levels during the dry season than during the wet season. Furthermore, fT but not fGC levels were lower in months of high average daily maximum temperatures, suggesting a direct impact of heat on testes. Our results demonstrate that male baboons, like females, experience ecological stress that alters their reproductive physiology. The impact of the environment on male reproduction deserves more attention both in its own right and because alteration in male physiology may contribute to the reduction in female fertility observed in challenging environments.

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Role of the pineal gland in male rats chronically exposed to increased temperature

Cited by 18 publications

References 19 publications

Effect of Pinealectomy on Heat-Induced Endocrine Changes in Female Rats

Effect of Pinealectomy on Heat-Induced Endocrine Changes in Female Rats

The pineal and endocrine changes in heat exposed male hamsters

Endocrinology of year‐round reproduction in a highly seasonal habitat: Environmental variability in testosterone and glucocorticoids in baboon males

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