摘要：RFamide-related peptide 3(RFRP-3) could manipulate the reproductive process of the mammals by directly regulating the activity of GnRH neurons.Striped hamsters are one of the main rodents in farmland in northern China,with typical seasonal reproduction characteristics.The effect of RFRP-3 on seasonal reproduction of striped hamsters is unclear now.This study investigated the expression profiles of RFRP-3 in the hypothalamus,ovary and testis of striped hamsters under different seasonal conditions.To investigate the role of RFRP-3 in seasonal reproduction of striped hamsters,we used qRT-PCR to detect mRNA expression profile differences of RFRP-3 in different tissues and GnRH in the hypothalamus,and also detected the FSH and LH concentrations in serum by ELISA.The results indicated that: (1) The mRNA expression of RFRP-3 in the hypothalamus,ovary and testis of striped hamsters in different seasons showed significant difference; (2) There was a significant negative correlation between the mRNA expression levels of RFRP-3 and GnRH in hypothalamus in female striped hamster,while not in male one; (3) There was no significant correlation between RFRP-3 mRNA expression levels in the hypothalamus and the concentrations of FSH and LH in serum; (4) The expression level of RFRP-3 mRNA in the ovaries of female striped hamster was significantly positively correlated with the serum LH concentration,which in the testis was significantly negatively correlated with the serum LH of male striped hamster.In summary,our research showed RFRP-3 may play an important role in the seasonal reproduction of striped hamsters,and this effect presents species specificity and gender dependence.
