Photo-thermal regulation of neuropeptide Y (NPY) expression in ovarian follicles and ovarian activity of the catfish, Clarias batrachus.

Authors have recently reported a gradual increase in neuropeptide Y expression in the ovarian follicles of Clarias batrachus with the progression of oogenesis, coinciding with increasing photoperiod and temperature. This indicates the involvement of photoperiod and temperature in controlling NPY expression. Therefore, a study was designed to investigate the role of photoperiod and temperature in regulation of NPY expression in ovarian follicles. The catfish were exposed to different photo-thermal regimes during the late-quiescence and late-recrudescence phases for one month, and the expression of NPY was analyzed along with other ovarian activities. Though the exposure of catfish to long photoperiod induced a marginal increase (1.5 fold) in NPY expression in follicular cells, the high temperature stimulated its expression more effectively (6-10 fold), irrespective of photoperiodic exposures. Exposure to long photoperiod and high temperature together induced NPY expression maximally in granulosa and thecal cells of fully grown oocytes, but exposure to low temperature decreased its expression significantly. The oogenic and steroidogenic activities were also promoted simultaneously after the exposure to high temperature and long photoperiod alone or in combination. However, the low temperature exposure suppressed the ovarian activities leading to atresia of advanced follicles. Thus it is suggested that photoperiod and temperature both affect NPY expression and ovarian recrudescence in fish but the influences of temperature seem to be more prominent.