AbstractData from two experiments are reported which test the hypothesis that nutrient and/or dry-matter intake and body condition may interact to modify hypothalamic opioidergic activity and thus influence the pulsatile release of LH during the early post-partum period and during the oestrous cycle. Experiment 1 involved 16 multiparous, twin-suckling beef cows, and was a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design in which the factors were level of post-partum energy intake (80 v. 130 M) metabolizable energy (ME) per day), the digestible undegradable protein (DUP) content of the post-partum diet (14 v. 31 g/kg dry matter), and treatment with either 200 mg or 400 mg naloxone hydrochloride. Blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals for 4h at weeks 4 and 7 post partum. Naloxone was administered intravenously after the eighth sample. Experiment 2 involved 16 cyclic maiden heifers and was also arranged in a factorial manner, with two levels of body condition at the start of the experimental period (2·50 and 3·16 units) and two levels of energy intake thereafter (40 and 80 MJ ME per day). Seven blood samples were collected at 15-min intervals on 4 days consecutively during the mid-luteal phase of the oestrous cycle. On the first 2 of these 4 days naloxone was administered, whilst on the last 2 days a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (buserelin; GnRH) was administered, both after the fourth sample. Plasma from both experiments was assayed for LH and prolactin (Prl).In experiment 1, cows on 130 MJ ME per day returned to oestrus and ovulated earlier than cows on 80 MJ ME per day (44·5 v. 55·0 days; s.e.d. = 3·93; P < 0·05). At week 4 post partum the proportional increase in plasma LH following naloxone challenge was greater for cows on 130 MJ ME per day than cows on 80 MJ ME per day (1·38 v. 1·12; P < 0·05), but the converse was true at week 7 (1·15 v. 1·68; P < 0·05). Cows on the high DUP diet required a higher dose of naloxone to elicit an LH response. Few heifers in experiment 2 exhibited an LH response to naloxone. In contrast, there were significant dietary treatment effects on the LH response to GnRH (P < 0·01). Relatively thin heifers on 40 MJ ME per day exhibited the lowest proportional increases in plasma LH to GnRH challenge, whereas heifers on 80 MJ ME per day and given the higher dose of GnRH produced the greatest plasma LH responses. Mean Prl concentrations before and after feeding in experiment 2 were respectively 13·2 and 10·2 ng/l (P < 0·01).Suckled cows given a high energy diet during the early post-partum period can overcome the opioid mediated block on LH release and resume oestrous cycles earlier than cows given a low energy diet. LH would appear to be inhibited by a non-opioid mechanism in mid-luteal phase heifers. Total pituitary reserves ofLH may be influenced by the animals nutritional status.