Pituitary and plasma levels of growth hormone in Booroola sheep that are either homozygous carriers or non-carriers of the FecBB fecundity gene

Abstract

Abstract The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the FecBB fecundity gene on plasma concentrations and pituitary content of growth hormone (GH) in sheep. No differences were found between homozygous carriers (BB) and non carriers (++) of the FecBB gene with regard to pituitary GH contents in both ovariectomized and intact ewes. However, ovariectomized ewes had higher levels of pituitary GH than intact ewes (P<0·01). There were no differences between FecBB genotypes with respect to plasma concentrations of GH in 6-year-old ovariectomized ewes bled every 10 min for 12 h or in ram lambs bled weekly during their first year of life. GH levels in the rams decreased until week 27, increased to a peak at week 31 then decreased before increasing again at week 43. Mean plasma GH concentrations in the ewe lambs bled weekly for a year decreased until week 19 then remained at approximately this level for the remainder of the year. Mean GH plasma concentrations in the ram lambs were higher than in the ewe lambs (P<0·001). Ewe lambs that were homozygous for the FecBB gene had lower body weights (P<0·05) and had higher levels of GH (P<0·01) than non carrier ewe lambs during their first year. Before the average age of first behavioural oestrus (36 weeks) GH levels in the ewe lambs were negatively correlated with body weights (r=−0·69, P<0·001, n=22). When body weight was included as a covariate in analysis of variance the genotype difference in ewe lamb plasma GH concentrations was no longer significant. In summary, pituitaries from ovariectomized ewes had higher levels of GH than those from intact ewes. There were no FecBB gene specific differences in pituitary levels of GH, the profile of plasma GH in 6-year-old ovariectomized ewes or in ram lambs during their first year of life. BB ewe lambs had higher levels of GH than ++ ewe lambs during their first year; however, this difference was probably due to the BB ewes having lower body weights than the ++ ewes because body weight was negatively correlated with mean GH levels. Journal of Endocrinology (1995) 147, 217–223