关键词: 单宁酸, 生殖激素, 高原鼠兔, 根田鼠, 协同进化

Abstract: Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae)and root voles (Microtus oeconomus)are herbivorous mammals inhabiting in the highest plateau of the world,the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau They feed on plants that contain many kinds of secondary metabolites. Our study objectives were to verify that secondary metabolites in their diets have some effects on the hormones related to their reproductive behaviors,and to explore the co-evolution between the animals and their forage for both species. Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH),plasma androgen and estrogen for both species was assayed after subjects were administrated tannic acid at dosages of 0,5,10,20 mg /kg BW for 1,3,or 5 days. Tannic acid increased plasma androgen and estrogen in both of pikas and root voles. We observed no significant change of GnRH in either species. This suggests that tannic acid plays a role in sexual maturation and benefits reproductive behaviors.

Key words: Coevolution, Gonad hormone, Plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae), Root voles (Microtus oeconomus), Tannic acid