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The role of chicken vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (cVIP) as a prolactin-releasing factor was investigated in incubating bantam hens. Specific antibodies were raised against cVIP (anti-cVIP) for passive immunization studies, to develop a radioimmunoassay and to localize VIP neurones immunohistochemically in the hypothalamus. The concentration of plasma prolactin decreased after i.v. injection of anti-cVIP: this low concentration being maintained by daily injection of anti-cVIP. Incubating hens injected daily with anti-cVIP deserted their nests after 4·5 ± 0·6 days and returned to lay after 20 ± 1 days. This disruption of incubation behaviour with anti-cVIP was prevented by concomitant, twice daily, injections of 30IU ovine prolactin. The concentration of plasma LH was not immediately affected after injection of anti-cVIP but increased when the hens deserted their nests.

The amount of cVIP, measured by radioimmunoassay, was significantly higher in the median eminence (P < 0·01) and medial basal hypothalamus (P = 0·05) in incubating than in laying hens. No differences were seen in the amounts of cVIP in the preoptic hypothalamus or in a part of the forebrain including the nucleus accumbens, between laying and incubating hens.

Morphological observations were made on immunohistochemically identified cVIP cell bodies in the medial basal hypothalamus. These showed that cVIP cell number, cell area and density of immunoreactive product were significantly (P < 0·05) greater in incubating than in laying hens. Further, the density of cVIP reaction product in the anterior median eminence was also significantly (P < 0·01) greater in incubating than in laying hens.

These observations are consistent with the view that hypothalamic VIP is a physiologically important prolactin-releasing hormone in incubating bantam hens.

Journal of Endocrinology (1989) 122, 5–13

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