Response of Catecholamines to Manual Teat Stimulation or Machine-Milking of Lacaune and Friesen Dairy Ewes

Increased sympathetic activity, including peripheral release of catecholamines, has been hypothesized to inhibit the milk ejection reflex by blocking the release of oxytocin, by blocking the effect of oxytocin at the mammary gland, or both. We attempted to relate differences in milking characteristics of Lacaune and East Friesen ewes to the degree of sympathetic arousal, responses of catecholamines and oxytocin to machine-milking and to manual teat stimulation followed by milking. Peripheral concentrations of epinephrine, 67 ± 6 pg/ml for Lacaunes and 57 ± 5 pg/ml for Friesens, were essentially constant. Peripheral concentrations of norepinephrine averaged 682 ± 68 pg/ml for Lacaunes and 250 ± 54 pg/ml for Friesens. Elevated norepinephrine concentrations during the pretreatment period were associated with the inhibition of oxytocin responses. When norepinephrine concentrations during the pretreatment period exceeded 300 pg/ml for Friesens, or were rising and exceeded 700 pg/ml at initiation of the experimental period for Lacaunes, oxytocin release was inhibited. Results from this study clearly showed that basal concentrations of norepinephrine vary with breed of ewes and provided the first direct evidence that increased sympathetic activity can result in central inhibition of the milk ejection reflex.