Effects of melatonin implants on winter fur growth and testicular recrudescence in adult male raccoon dogs (Nyctereutes procyonoides)

The effects of melatonin implants were investigated on winter fur growth, monitored by counting growing and mature hairs per bundle and testicular recrudescence, judged by testis width, score count of spermatogenesis, and serum testosterone in the adult male raccoon dogs. Melatonin administration in July highly elevated melatonin concentrations in serum and urine and induced an earlier decrease in prolactin secretion (August in the treated group vs September in the control group), winter fur growth (July-beginning of November in the treated group vs. August-end of November in the control group) and testicular recrudescence (October in the treated group vs. November in the control group). In the control animals, urinary excretion of melatonin between 1500-0900 hr increased during autumn followed by a rapid fall in winter. The increase from July (1.8 +/- 0.4 ng) to August (3.9 +/- 0.5 ng) and the subsequent unchanged levels until October coincided with the period of winter fur growth. The further increase in November (6.5 +/- 1.2 ng) coincided with the significant elevation in both testis width and score count of spermatogenesis. These results suggest a role of the increase in endogenous melatonin secretion during autumn in the growth of winter fur and testicular recrudescence in this species under natural conditions, Relatively high serum concentrations of prolactin were shown in two animals, one in the control group and another in the treated group. However, the parameters for testis and winter fur growth in the two cases were similar to those in the remainder of the animals. Thereby, the role of prolactin in the winter fur growth and the initiation of testicular recrudescence, if it is truly involved, is manifested through its decreasing secretion rather than the actual blood concentrations.