Intrauterine contiguity influences regulatory activity in adult female and male mice

Kinsley, Craig Howard; Miele, Joseph; Konen, C.; Ghiraldi, Loraina; Svare, Bruce

doi:10.1016/0018-506x(86)90025-5

Cited by 32 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 16 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…In some environments the difference in aggression (vom Saal & Bronson, 1978) and spontaneous activity level (Kinsley et al, 1986b) between 0M-and 2M-females might result in OM-females being dispersed during adolescence or adulthood. I have proposed that this could lead to a shift in the age at which females remaining in the population first produce young and thus alter population dynamics (for reviews see: vom Saal, 1984see: vom Saal, , 1989.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The production of and sensitivity to cues that delay puberty and prolong subsequent oestrous cycles in female mice are influenced by prior intrauterine position

Saal¹

1989

Reproduction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Four experiments were conducted with CF-1 house mice (Mus domesticus) to examine the relationship between a female's prior intrauterine position (2M = between 2 male fetuses, 1M = next to one male fetus, 0M = not next to a male fetus) and the timing of puberty and length of subsequent oestrous cycles under a variety of housing conditions. The results of Exp. 1 confirmed that the presence of males was required for females to enter puberty and exhibit regular oestrous cycles, regardless of prior intrauterine position. When housed individually after weaning either with a male in the cage or separated by a wire mesh partition, 0M-females ovulated and mated at a younger age and had shorter post-pubertal oestrous cycles than did 2M-females (1M-females were intermediate between 0M- and 2M-females). Other females were also housed after weaning with a male or separated by a wire mesh partition from a male in a variety of social environments (4 0M-females and 1 2M-female, 4 2M-females and 1 0M-female, 5 1M-females, 3 0M-females and 3 2M-females). The objective of these different housing conditions was to determine whether prior intrauterine position influenced the transmission of and/or sensitivity to cues that delay puberty and prolong subsequent oestrous cycles. Relative to 2M-females, 0M-females both produced more potent cues and were more sensitive to the cues (again, 1M-females were intermediate between 0M- and 2M-females). Specifically, in the presence of other females, puberty was delayed and post-pubertal oestrous cycles were prolonged to the greatest extent in 0M-females. Prior intrauterine position is therefore a source of individual variation in the production of and sensitivity to cues that modulate the timing of puberty and the length of subsequent oestrous cycles in female mice. The findings suggest that prenatally-androgenized 2M-females may have a reproductive advantage over other females at high population densities.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

The production of and sensitivity to cues that delay puberty and prolong subsequent oestrous cycles in female mice are influenced by prior intrauterine position

Saal¹

1989

Reproduction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The direction of differences in activity due to intrauterine position is exactly what would be predicted based on the assumption that fetal testosterone concentration is the mediator of this phenomenon. Specifically, Kinsley et al (1986b) reported that in R-S mice, 2M males had the lowest daily activity levels, determined by photobeam interruptions in an activity cage, whereas 0M males and 2M females had similar activity levels. 0M females had almost twice the daily activity levels of 2M females.…”

Section: Activity Level and Body Weight It Is Wellmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sexual Differentiation in Litter-Bearing Mammals: Influence of Sex of Adjacent Fetuses in Utero

Saal

1989

Journal of Animal Science

323

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In rodents and swine, individual differences in a broad range of characteristics correlate with intrauterine position during fetal life. By identifying the intrauterine position of mice at cesarean delivery, we can predict reliably postnatal reproductive traits such as genital morphology, timing of puberty, length of estrous cycles, timing of reproductive senescence, sexual attractiveness, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, daily activity level, body weight and tissue enzyme activity in females; in males we can predict genital and brain morphology, sexual behavior, aggressiveness, daily activity level, body weight, and tissue enzyme activity. In mice, as in all mammals, male fetuses have greater concentrations of testosterone than do females. In addition, female mouse fetuses have greater circulating concentrations of estradiol than do male fetuses, a condition not found in all mammals. A mouse fetus positioned between males has greater concentrations of testosterone than does a fetus of the same sex positioned between females, and a fetus positioned between females has greater concentrations of estradiol than does a fetus of the same sex positioned between males. Gonadal steroids regulate differentiation of secondary sexual characteristics. Studies in which the effects of intrauterine position have been eliminated by exposing fetuses to steroid receptor blockers reveal the critical role of steroids in mediating this phenomenon. The intrauterine position phenomenon provides the only mammalian model for relating postnatal traits to concentrations of endogenous hormones to which individuals are exposed during fetal life. Results from studies using this naturally occurring experimental system in litter-bearing species have given insights concerning the consequences of individual differences in steroid concentrations during sexual differentiation that likely apply to all mammals. One specific hypothesis is that circulating estradiol may interact with testosterone in mediating some aspects of sexual differentiation in rodents and, thus, possibly in other mammals. (

show abstract

“…Such factors include early experience [Kahn 1954;King and Gurney 19541, genotype [Scott, 1966;Lagerspetz and Lagerspetz, 1971;van Oortmerssen et al, 19851, litter size [Ryan and Wehmer, 19751, isolation versus group housing [Valzelli, 1969;Mugford and Nowell, 19721, residency status (encounter staged in home area or in unfamiliar surroundings) [Charpentier, 19691, pheromonal cues [Mugford and Nowell, 1970, 19711, and population density [Southwick, 19581. Also, for white-footed mice (Perornyscus rnaniculutus), dominance may be related to metabolic rate [Farr and Andrews, 19781. Intrauterine position, another proximate factor, is related to activity [Kinsley et al, 1986;Yousif et al, 19911 and to aggression [vom Saal, 19831 in male mice. Males located in utero between two males are less active [Kinsley et al, 19861 and show less investigative and less social and sexual activity, but are more aggressive than males located between a pair of females [Yousif et al, 19911. There is a relationship between intrauterine position and some combination of levels of testosterone and/or levels of sensitivity of the brain and reproductive organs to circulating levels of testosterone in adult male mice and gerbils.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Anogenital distance and dominance status in male house mice (Mus domesticus)

et al. 1995

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Intrauterine contiguity influences regulatory activity in adult female and male mice

Cited by 32 publications

References 16 publications

The production of and sensitivity to cues that delay puberty and prolong subsequent oestrous cycles in female mice are influenced by prior intrauterine position

The production of and sensitivity to cues that delay puberty and prolong subsequent oestrous cycles in female mice are influenced by prior intrauterine position

Sexual Differentiation in Litter-Bearing Mammals: Influence of Sex of Adjacent Fetuses in Utero

Anogenital distance and dominance status in male house mice (Mus domesticus)

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About