Control of ovulation, vaginal estrus, and behavioral receptivity in voles (Microtus)

Sawrey, D. Kim; Dewsbury, Donald A.

doi:10.1016/0149-7634(85)90003-x

Cited by 55 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…However, this apparently cannot be generalized across all induced ovulators, or even across the genus Microtus, because sexual behavior in the biparental, monogamous, and induced-ovulating pine vole (Microtus pinetorum) (Fitzgerald and Madison, 1983;Oliveras and Novak, 1986;Sawrey and Dewsbury, 1985;Taylor, Salo, and Dewsbury, 1992) can be both masculinized and defeminized by even a brief neonatal testosterone treatment (a single 0.5-mg TP injection on day of birth) (Wekesa and Vandenbergh, 1996). Therefore, even within closely related species of Microtus there is a diverse array of hormonal mechanisms affecting sexual differentiation of reproductive behaviors, emphasizing the value of using Microtine rodents as a model for studying the effects of hormones on behavioral development in mammals.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Responsiveness Is Feminized after Neonatal Castration in Virgin Male Prairie Voles, but Is Not Masculinized by Perinatal Testosterone in Virgin Females

Lonstein

Rood

Vries

2002

Hormones and Behavior

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We previously found a large sex difference in the parental responsiveness of adult virgin prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster) such that most males are spontaneously parental, whereas most females are not. Because this sex difference is independent of the gonadal hormones normally circulating in adult virgin voles, the present study examined whether perinatal hormones influence the development of this sex difference. Males were treated prenatally (via their pregnant dam) with both the androgen receptor blocker flutamide (5 mg/day/dam) and the aromatase inhibitor ATD (1 mg/day/dam), or oil, for the last 2 weeks of gestation. Half of the subjects from each group were castrated on the day of birth and the other half received a sham surgery. As adults, intact males were castrated and all males received a silastic capsule filled with testosterone. Prenatal treatment with flutamide and ATD had no effect on males' behavior toward pups, but neonatal castration significantly reduced the percentage of males acting parentally. In a second experiment, females were exposed to testosterone propionate (TP; 50 g/day/dam) or oil via their dam during the last 2 weeks of gestation. For the first neonatal week, half of the females from each group were injected with TP (1 mg/day) and the other half oil. As adults, females were ovariectomized and half from each group received a testosterone-filled capsule and the other half received an empty capsule. None of the perinatal TP treatments increased females' parental responsiveness, although females from all groups that received testosterone capsules as adults were highly parental. Therefore, although postnatal testicular hormones are necessary for high parental responsiveness in males, the behavior of females is not influenced by perinatal exposure to testosterone. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Parental Responsiveness Is Feminized after Neonatal Castration in Virgin Male Prairie Voles, but Is Not Masculinized by Perinatal Testosterone in Virgin Females

Lonstein

Rood

Vries

2002

Hormones and Behavior

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“…In other mammals, estrus and ovulation do not occur spontaneously. Male-related stimuli appear to be essential for induction of estrus in a number of arvicoline rodents (voles and lemmings) [15][16][17]. Stimuli from males induce rapid changes in neuroendocrine and endocrine functions.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical Cues are Necessary but Insufficient for Reproductive Activation of Female Pine Voles (Microtus pinetorum)1

Solomon

Vandenbergh²,

Wekesa³

et al. 1996

Biology of Reproduction

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Among various arvicoline rodents, reproduction is influenced to varying degrees by social factors, including behavioral or chemical cues. Since previous research suggested that chemosignals from adult males reproductively activate female pine voles (Microtus pine-torum), we sought to determine specifically what types of stimuli promote the activation response. In these experiments, female were exposed to unfamiliar adult males, or to some combination of cues from males, or were housed alone. Using uterine mass as a measure of reproductive activation, we found that females were not activated by exposure either to male urine by itself or to male-soiled bedding by itself, but full contact with a male clearly resulted in heavier uteri. Females whose vomeronasal organs were surgically excised failed to undergo reproductive activation when housed with males. Finally, females allowed physical contact by being housed directly underneath males had heavier uteri than did females whose housing allowed contact only with the chemical cues from males. Among female arvicoline rodents, it appears that there exists a physiological continuum between absolute dependence on both contact and chemical cues from males vs. absolute independence for reproductive activation. The present results place female pine voles closer to the former extreme than to the latter.

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“…Spontaneous ovulators show a continuous cycling of reproductive hormones and ovulation irrespective of the occurrence of physical and/or chemical contact with a male. However, in reflex or induced ovulators, reproductive hormones and ovulation depend on the male presence (Sawrey and Dewsbury 1985). Activation of oestrus in truly induced ovulators requires mating (Cohen-Parsons and Carter 1988) whereas in other induced ovulators it can occur through visual, auditory and a variety of odour stimuli (Milligan 1975).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Scent marks detected by opposite sex conspecifics may influence their own reproductive behaviour such as enhancing receptivity in females. Behavioural receptivity in induced ovulators is often predicted when cornified cells predominate in vaginal smears (Sawrey and Dewsbury 1985). Furthermore, Breed (1967) found that copulation also occurs when the females exhibited mostly nucleated smears.…”

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confidence: 99%

Female reproductive responses to photoperiod and male odours in the subterranean rodentCtenomys talarum

Fanjul

Zenuto

2008

Acta Theriol

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The propitious timing of reproductive efforts favours the survival of both parents and the offspring at the time when conditions and/or resources to support the care and rearing of offspring are assured (Bronson 1989, Ims 1990. Reproduction is controlled by physiological interactions mediated by hormones which are ultimately induced by environmental and social factors including photoperiod, temperature, [73] Acta Theriologica 53 (1): 73-85, 2008. . 2008. Female reproductive responses to photoperiod and male odours in the subterranean rodent Ctenomys talarum. Acta Theriologica 53: 73-85.The tuco-tuco Ctenomys talarum Thomas, 1898 is a solitary subterranean rodent that breeds seasonally in coastal sand-dune grasslands from Argentina. We assessed whether short-day photoperiod determines the onset of reproduction by an increase in female's receptivity and whether male odour interacts with photoperiod as a cue by producing a greater response in receptivity. Receptivity was measured by an increase in the percentage of vaginal epithelial cells, particularly cornified cells. Females were trapped during their non-reproductive season (summer-long days) and randomly assigned to different day-length experimental groups: constant summer (CS), early winter (EW), and natural (NA) photoperiod. We examined the vaginal epithelium using vaginal smears during the first experimental phase (120 days) to test the effect of photoperiod. In the second experimental phase (15 days), we presented the females with male-soiled shavings to test the effect of photoperiod and male odor. Ctenomys talarum females showed some evidence of reproductive responsiveness to photoperiodic cuing. The proportion of epithelial cells peaked earlier in females when winter day-length was advanced than in females under natural photoperiod. Contrary to that expected, male odours did not stimulate female receptivity. These results suggest that, while photoperiod may participate in regulating reproduction, the integration of other environmental and social factors, as well as the identification of bodily conditions that lead to differences in individual response needs further consideration.

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Control of ovulation, vaginal estrus, and behavioral receptivity in voles (Microtus)

Cited by 55 publications

References 38 publications

Parental Responsiveness Is Feminized after Neonatal Castration in Virgin Male Prairie Voles, but Is Not Masculinized by Perinatal Testosterone in Virgin Females

Parental Responsiveness Is Feminized after Neonatal Castration in Virgin Male Prairie Voles, but Is Not Masculinized by Perinatal Testosterone in Virgin Females

Chemical Cues are Necessary but Insufficient for Reproductive Activation of Female Pine Voles (Microtus pinetorum)1

Female reproductive responses to photoperiod and male odours in the subterranean rodentCtenomys talarum

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