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  • Title: The pituitary and testicular responses to GnRH challenge between 4 and 14 months of age in thoroughbred colts born in spring and autumn.
    Author: Brown-Douglas CG, Firth EC, Parkinson TJ, Fennessy PF.
    Journal: Anim Reprod Sci; 2005 Sep; 88(3-4):287-98. PubMed ID: 16143218.
    Abstract:
    Gonadotropin releasing-hormone analogue (buserelin) challenges were carried out every 8 weeks from 4 to 14 months of age on thoroughbred colts born in the spring (n = 6) or autumn (n = 5) to define the onset of puberty. In all colts, luteinizing hormone (LH) secretion followed a seasonal pattern, with high baseline and maximal concentrations in the spring and summer and low concentrations in the winter. Testosterone concentrations were undetectable before spring and, thus, autumn-born colts were younger than spring-born colts when a testosterone response to buserelin was first observed. Mean weights of the autumn-born colts were 300 kg (282-327 kg) at the time of the first detectable testosterone response in the following spring (October). Spring-born colts had reached this weight in the winter (May and June, before day length had increased) but did not exhibit a significant testosterone response until the spring at a mean weight of 352 kg (327-403 kg). It is proposed that colts must achieve a threshold body weight concurrently with stimulatory photoperiod for onset of puberty to occur.
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