Puberty in Pine Voles, Microtus Pinetorum, and the Influence of Chemosignals on Female Reproduction1

Lepri, John J.; Vandenbergh, John G.

doi:10.1095/biolreprod34.2.370

Cited by 44 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Termination of early gestation by novel (nonsire) males around the time of intrauterine blastocyst implantation (the Bruce effect; Bruce (1960)) and advancement of sexual maturation in nearby juvenile females (the Vandenbergh effect; Vandenbergh (1967)) have been extensively studied in mice and in a number of other mammals (e.g. Bronson & Eleftheriou 1963, Izard & Vandenbergh 1982, Drickamer 1983, Lepri & Vandenbergh 1986, Storey 1996. These phenomena share a number of qualities, especially their dependency upon male urinary constituents that bear upon the female's nasal area (Parkes & Bruce 1962, deCatanzaro et al 2006, 2009.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oestradiol transmission from males to females in the context of the Bruce and Vandenbergh effects in mice (Mus musculus)

Guzzo¹,

Jheon²,

Imtiaz³

et al. 2012

Reproduction

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Male mice actively direct their urine at nearby females, and this urine reliably contains unconjugated oestradiol (E 2 ) and other steroids. Giving inseminated females minute doses of exogenous E 2 , either systemically or intranasally, can cause failure of blastocyst implantation. Giving juvenile females minute doses of exogenous E 2 promotes measures of reproductive maturity such as uterine mass. Here we show that tritium-labelled E 2 ( 3 H-E 2 ) can be traced from injection into novel male mice to tissues of cohabiting inseminated and juvenile females. We show the presence of 3 H-E 2 in male excretions, transmission to the circulation of females and arrival in the female reproductive tract. In males, 3 H-E 2 given systemically was readily found in reproductive tissues and was especially abundant in bladder urine. In females, 3 H-E 2 was found to enter the system via both nasal and percutaneous routes, and was measurable in the uterus and other tissues. As supraoptimal E 2 levels can both interfere with blastocyst implantation in inseminated females and promote uterine growth in juvenile females, we suggest that absorption of male-excreted E 2 can account for major aspects of the Bruce and Vandenbergh effects.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Oestradiol transmission from males to females in the context of the Bruce and Vandenbergh effects in mice (Mus musculus)

Guzzo¹,

Jheon²,

Imtiaz³

et al. 2012

Reproduction

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“…Lepri and Vandenbergh [25] found that as little as 12 h of contact with an adult male can result in a significant increase in uterine mass. When females were housed in wire-topped cages and males were housed directly overhead in wire-bottomed cages, there was a small but statistically significant increase in uterine mass.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…When females were housed in wire-topped cages and males were housed directly overhead in wire-bottomed cages, there was a small but statistically significant increase in uterine mass. Lepri and Vandenbergh [25] suggested that exposure to excreta (urine or feces) led to estrogen secretion in young females.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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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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“…Bruce 1960, Vandenbergh 1967, Drickamer 1983. The Vandenbergh effect has also been observed in deer mice (Teague & Bradley 1978), voles (Lepri & Vandenbergh 1986), hamsters (Reasner & Johnston 1988), lemmings (Hasler & Banks 1975), opossums (Harder & Jackson 2003), pigs (Brooks & Cole 1970) and cows (Izard & Vandenbergh 1982). The Bruce effect has also been reported in deer mice (Bronson & Eleftheriou 1963), voles (Clulow & Langford 1971) and gerbils (Rohrbach 1982).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Oestradiol treatment restores the capacity of castrated males to induce both the Vandenbergh and the Bruce effects in mice (Mus musculus)

Thorpe¹,

deCatanzaro²

2012

Reproduction

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Androgen-dependent urinary constituents from males hasten reproductive maturation (the Vandenbergh effect) and disrupt periimplantation pregnancy (the Bruce effect) in nearby females. Each of these effects can be mimicked in socially isolated females by direct administration of exogenous oestrogens. The current experiments were designed to determine the role of males' urinary 17b-oestradiol (E 2 ) in their capacities to induce these effects. A preliminary experiment showed that both males on a phyto-oestrogen-rich soy-based diet and those on a phyto-oestrogen-free diet could induce both effects. For subsequent experiments, males were castrated and treated with either oil vehicle or E 2 . Enzyme immunoassay was conducted on non-invasively collected urine samples from these males. Concentrations of urinary testosterone were subnormal in both conditions, but urinary E 2 was restored to the normal range for intact males in castrates given E 2 . Urinary creatinine was also quantified as a measure of hydration and was significantly reduced in males treated with E 2 . Castration diminished the capacity of males to promote growth of the immature uterus and also their capacity to disrupt blastocyst implantation in inseminated females. Injections of E 2 to castrated males restored both capacities. These data converge with other studies indicating that E 2 is the main constituent of male urine responsible for induction of both the Vandenbergh and the Bruce effects.

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Puberty in Pine Voles, Microtus Pinetorum, and the Influence of Chemosignals on Female Reproduction1

Cited by 44 publications

References 7 publications

Oestradiol transmission from males to females in the context of the Bruce and Vandenbergh effects in mice (Mus musculus)

Oestradiol transmission from males to females in the context of the Bruce and Vandenbergh effects in mice (Mus musculus)

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

Oestradiol treatment restores the capacity of castrated males to induce both the Vandenbergh and the Bruce effects in mice (Mus musculus)

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