Effect of 4.7-mg Deslorelin Acetate Implant on Blood Lipids and Steroid Hormones in Cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus).

Abstract

Deslorelin acetate is a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist commonly used for reproductive suppression in birds. Female psittacine birds routinely undergo vitellogenesis, with resulting high blood lipids, which may predispose them to several lipid disorders, including atherosclerosis. This study evaluated the effects of deslorelin implants on blood lipids and steroid hormones in cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus). Sixteen female cockatiels were randomly assigned to receive a 4.7-mg deslorelin implant subcutaneously or a sham procedure. Plasma samples were collected at baseline and at 1, 2, 4, and 6 months postimplantation. Lipid and lipoprotein profiling were performed by high-resolution polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and steroid hormones were analyzed via liquid chromatography tandem spectrometry. Deslorelin significantly reduced plasma triglycerides, total cholesterol, intermediate-density lipoproteins, and high-density lipoproteins at 1 month postimplantation compared with controls, with some effects persisting up to 2 months for intermediate-density lipoproteins. Four of 8 cockatiels were found to be hyperlipidemic in the deslorelin group over the 6-month treatment period compared with 8 of 8 cockatiels in the control group. Progesterone concentrations were lower in the deslorelin group. Estradiol concentrations decreased transiently at 1 month but did not reach statistical significance. These findings highlight deslorelin's potential to modulate lipid metabolism in female cockatiels and suggest a temporal effect lasting 1-2 months. This study provides novel insights into the metabolic effects of deslorelin beyond its reproductive role and may have implications for managing hyperlipidemia in avian species.