Influences of the adrenal gland and photoperiod on the hamster oestrous cycle

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Abstract
Adult female hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) were caged individually, provided with a maintenance diet ad libitum and exposed to 14 h light/day. After 3 or more consecutive 4-day estrous cycles, hamsters were adrenalectomized and blinded (orbital enucleation) under pentobarbital-induced anaesthesia. Results showed that, in the hamster, as in the rat, adrenal hormones are not essential for the long-term expression of estrous cyclicity. This finding and the observation that adrenalectomy does not eliminate photoperiodic regulation of the estrus cycle suggest that adrenal hormones play no major role in an external or internal coincidence mechanism for the seasonal suspension of reproductive activity in the hamster.

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