Seventeen red deer hinds were housed in individual pens and from 28 February until 11 November were injected each week with vehicle (group A; n = 6) or 5 (group B; n = 6) or 12.5 mg (group C; n = 5) of a long-acting formulation of bromocriptine. Liveweight and voluntary food intake (VFI) were recorded for each hind, and blood was collected for determination of progesterone, prolactin, tri-iodothyronine (T3) and cortisol concentrations by radioimmunoassay. Treatment with the high dose of bromocriptine was associated with a significant (P less than 0.05) reduction in VFI, with the effect being greatest between March and July. There was no treatment effect on liveweight, but there was a significant (P less than 0.01) interaction between time and treatment due to the faster rate of weight gain in control animals at the beginning of the experiment. Changes in liveweight could be explained by changes in VFI rather than by changes in the efficiency of utilization of intake. Termination of the breeding season was significantly (P less than 0.01) delayed by 54 days in group C hinds. Growth of the summer coat and subsequent winter coats was delayed by 1 and 3 months respectively in group C hinds, and in groups B and C the duration that animals were in summer coat was increased by about 1 month. The seasonal increase in prolactin concentrations was seen in all groups, but levels were significantly (P less than 0.05) lower in group C hinds. Concentrations of T3 and cortisol were not affected by bromocriptine.

The quantitatively major steroid hormones in ovarian and adrenal venous plasma of the female brush-tail possum were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The ovarian vein plasma samples all contained oestradiol and its concentration was highest during the pro-oestrous phase of the reproductive cycle. During this phase the concentration of progesterone was below the limit of detection but at day 13 of the oestrous cycle and pregnancy, the concentration of progesterone exceeded that of oestradiol. Cortisol and corticosterone were the major steroid hormones found in all adrenal vein samples with cortisol predominant. Androgens with a 3-oxo structure, if present, were below the limits of detection in all plasma samples. Radioimmunoassays for the measurement of progesterone and oestradiol in peripheral plasma were used to follow changes in the concentrations of these steroids during the reproductive cycle. Progesterone in serial blood samples was low at oestrus, rose gradually until day 7 and then increased more rapidly to reach a peak level of 21-29 nmol/l at around day 13. Any differences between the pregnant and non-pregnant cycles were minor. Oestradiol was only detected around oestrus when levels were variable (53.3 +/- 20.92 (S.E.M.) pmol/l; n = 4). The results indicate that the reproductive cycle of the brush-tail possum is characterized by a single peak of oestradiol at around pro-oestrus followed by gradually increasing levels of progesterone. Pregnancy appears to have no influence on the circulating concentrations of oestradiol or progesterone.

The koala ovulates in response to mating. The purpose of this study was to document the LH surge induced by copulation and to investigate the potential roles of mechanical stimulation of the urogenital sinus and deposition of semen in induction of the luteal phase. In experiment 1, serial blood samples from four koalas that underwent normal mating showed elevated concentrations of LH approximately 24 -32 h post-coitus. There was no corresponding elevation in LH in koalas (n 5 4) that were exposed to the presence of a male but received no physical contact. In experiment 2, koalas on day 2 of oestrus were exposed to one of the following treatments (n 5 9 per group): artificial insemination with 1 ml 0.9% sterile saline (control group), insemination with 1 ml koala semen, stimulation of the urogenital sinus with a purposebuilt glass rod (designed to mimic the action of the penis during natural mating) and urogenital stimulation with the glass rod followed by insemination of 1 ml koala semen. Confirmation of a luteal phase was based on evidence of a prolonged return to oestrus, parturition and/or elevated progesterone concentrations. Insemination of saline (0/9) and urogenital stimulation (0/9) failed to induce a luteal phase. Insemination of semen without glass rod stimulation resulted in a luteal phase in 4/9 koalas, three of which gave birth. Insemination of semen in combination with urogenital stimulation produced a luteal phase in 7/9 koalas, four of which gave birth. Semen had a significant effect on induction of the koala luteal phase (P < 0.001) but glass rod stimulation had no such effect (P 5 0.335). It was concluded that semen must be involved in the induction of a luteal phase in the koala. The results presented in this study will serve to improve optimal timing and induction of ovulation for artificial insemination in the koala.

Summary. Reproductive cycles were studied in a group of tame P\l=e`\reDavid's deer hinds. The non-pregnant hind is seasonally polyoestrous and, in animals studied over 2 years, the breeding season began in early August (2 August \ m=+-\ 3\m=.\3days; s.e.m., N = 9) and ended in mid-December (18 December \m=+-\5\m=.\7 days; N = 8) and early January (6 January \ m=+-\3\m=.\2days; N = 11) in consecutive years. During the anoestrous period, plasma progesterone concentrations were low (0\m=.\2\ m=+-\ 0\m=.\01 ng/ml) or non-detectable. During the breeding season, experiments were conducted to investigate synchronization of oestrus with exogenous progestagens. Oestrus occurred 32\p=n-\90h after progestagen removal. The changes in plasma progesterone concentrations which followed oestrus were similar to those seen after natural oestrus.

Prolactin concentration was measured in plasma collected each week for 13 months from lactating and non-lactating Bennett's wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus rufogriseus). In non-lactating animals, prolactin concentrations decreased towards the end of the study but such changes did not appear to fit a seasonal pattern. Prolactin concentrations were low during early lactation and at a similar level to non-lactating animals, increased significantly during late pouch life (February-May), and then returned to non-lactating levels at a time coincident with permanent exit of the joey from the pouch. Temporary removal of joeys from their mothers in April was followed by a rapid decline in prolactin concentrations which remained low for 24 h until the joey was returned to its mother, whereupon prolactin concentrations increased significantly within 2 h. The effect of a single injection of bromocriptine (5 mg/kg) on lactation, embryonic diapause and plasma prolactin concentrations was examined at two stages of lactation. In November (lactational diapause), bromocriptine had no effect on prolactin concentrations but two out of four suckling joeys died on days 13 and 14 after treatment, and three out of four females gave birth on days 27, 27 and 28. Bromocriptine treatment in April (seasonal diapause) was followed by a significant reduction in prolactin concentrations and reduced growth rate of joeys belonging to treated females. New births were not observed. In view of the effect of bromocriptine on plasma prolactin concentrations in late lactation and the demonstration that domperidone (a dopamine antagonist) significantly increases plasma prolactin concentrations, it would seem that dopamine can act as a prolactin inhibitory hormone in this as in other mammalian species.