Regulation of the Rat Estrous Cycle by Predator Odors: Role of the Vomeronasal Organ

Voznessenskaya, Vera V.; Wysocki, Charles J.; Zinkevich, E. P.

doi:10.1007/978-1-4757-9655-1_45

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 7 publications

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“…Yet they were still able to discriminate between these pairs of odor sources, suggesting that male mice with VNO ablation might not recognize the biological significance of the odors. The effects of alarm and predator odors on rodents have previously been shown to rely on the VNO of the rodents (Voznessenskaya et al 1992;Sam et al 2001;Kiyokawa et al 2007;Muroi et al 2006). Our data suggest that the biological significance of individuality-related volatile chemosignals (i.e., offspring vs non-offspring or opposite-sex vs same-sex partners) were also recognized via the VNO.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

“…Although it is revealed that the perception of alarm pheromones in male rats, the suppression of sperm motility of subordinates by the dominance pheromone in male mice, and the extension of estrous cycles of female rats by mink odor depend on the VNO (Voznessenskaya et al 1992;Koyama and Kamimura 2003;Kiyokawa et al 2007), direct evidence that mice with VNO ablation are incapable of distinguishing unpleasant odors from pleasant odors is unavailable.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Vomeronasal organ ablation elicits chemosensory dysfunction and abnormal behavior in mice

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2009

J Ethol

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This study aimed to examine whether the vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a prerequisite in mice to acquire essential information from various social odors and whether long-term VNO dysfunction can elicit behavioral and physiological changes in mice. We used binary choice tests and habituation-dishabituation tests to measure the abilities of male mice to recognize social odors. We found that males with the VNO ablation failed to show olfactory preferences between the odors of mate versus non-mate females, offspring versus non-offspring pups, or oppositesex conspecifics versus predators (cats or rats), but were capable of discriminating between the two treatments in each of the paired odors, suggesting that male mice with VNO ablation might smell out the chemical differences of the two types of odors, but could not extract the biological information contained in the odors. Furthermore, prolonged VNO deficiency resulted in a reduction in crossing behavior in a light/dark box, the frequency of urine marking, and the time spent in the center in an open field. These results indicate that chronic VNO dysfunction led to anxiety-like or submissive behavior. In addition, males with VNO ablation had atrophic adrenal glands and hypertrophic preputial glands, suggesting that VNO dysfunction could damage the physiological conditions to buffer the stress and that pheromone perception deficiency might enhance self-odor production in mice.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 51%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Vomeronasal organ ablation elicits chemosensory dysfunction and abnormal behavior in mice

Liu

Zhang

et al. 2009

J Ethol

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“…These findings indicate the significance of chemical cues presentation rate (Kvasha et al, 2018;. Voznessenskaya et al (1992) studied the effect of mink (Mustela vision) odor on the frequency of estrous cycles in a large cohort of adult Wistar rats (n=120). 3-4 drops of anal sac secretions from male mink were applied on the bedding of group housed females for 24 hours every 16-20 days.…”

Section: Effects In Femalesmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…of ovarian cycles are influenced by external factors and exact values of the parameters could serve as reliable measure. A number of studies indicate chemical signals as potential effectors (regulators) of ovarian cycles in a variety of mammalian species, including humans (Whitten, 1957;McClintock, 1984;Sokolov et al, 1990Sokolov et al, , 1992Voznessenskaya et al, 1992;Koskela et al, 1996;Preti et al, 2003;Kvasha et al, 2019;Laktionova et al, 2020, etc.). Predator chemical signals are the most potent to alter estrus cycles.…”

Section: Effects In Femalesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of predator odors on stress response and reproduction in Norway rats: A review

Klyuchnikova¹,

Struchkov²,

Kvasha³

2020

Ukr J Ecol

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Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is an invaluable laboratory model organism as well as one of the most common rodent pest species. The currently used rodenticides have several significant drawbacks: toxicity to humans and non-target species, environmental harm, the development of avoidance reactions and genetic resistance to the applied substances in rat populations. One of the proposed approaches for rodent pest control is based on natural ways, such as predation, which could be emulated by predator scents. In rodents, olfaction plays a key role in danger recognition, especially in detection of potential predator. Predator odors can activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis via central nervous system and thus induce the release of stress hormones. A well-documented suppression of reproduction under psychosocial stress appears to be associated with specific interactions of HPA axis and hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis. Hereby we review research on the influences of predator chemical cues on stress response and reproduction in Norway rats with a special focus on long lasting and chronic effects. We describe the effects of predator odors of fox (Vulpes vulpes), ferret (Mustela putorius) and domestic cat (Felis catus) in detail. Assessment of reproductive success in rats may be treated as a robust experimental model to evaluate ecologically relevant stress effects of predator odors. Application of this approach could promote development of environmentally friendly methods to control rat population density.

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“…According to Masol et al [35], the behavioral defense of pest against contact especially for dietary poisoning influences their feeding and area repellent. For area repellent, Voznessenskaya et al [36] reported the exposure to predator odor to cause disruption of the estrous cycle. Voznessenskaya et al [37] reported reduced 26 reproductive outputs as the result of exposure to area repellent, specifically urine products derived from meat diets and urine from rats housed in a crowded condition.…”

Section: Non-lethal or Preventive Measuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trap Barrier System (TBS) as a New Tool for Rodent Pest Management in Irrigated Rice in Africa

Mulungu¹,

Mchukya²,

Mnyone³

2020

Pests Control and Acarology

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Rodent infestation poses a serious threat to smallholder farmers in both developed and developing countries where a large proportion of potential crop yield is lost. In Tanzania, the average annual yield loss of rice is estimated to be around 5-12%. Management of rodent pests in Africa relies mostly on the use of rodenticides which, however, are often applied only when damage has already occurred rather than routinely. Rodenticides used in this way are rarely economically and ecologically sustainable for managing rodents in irrigated rice. A "community-based Trap-Barrier-System (cTBS)" provides an alternative novel rodent control approach for controlling rodents in rice fields. This is basically a system where rodents are trapped in a rice field that is planted a short period earlier than the surrounding fields and therefore attracting rodents from a much wider area than the field itself. The system has proved very successful in irrigated rice fields in Tanzania, increasing rice yields in the intervention fields by 40.91%. A single cTBS can confer protection in up to 16 ha of irrigated rice field. Therefore, if scaled up and used widely, TBS has a great potential for managing rodent pests and improving yield in irrigated rice fields.

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Regulation of the Rat Estrous Cycle by Predator Odors: Role of the Vomeronasal Organ

Cited by 7 publications

References 7 publications

Vomeronasal organ ablation elicits chemosensory dysfunction and abnormal behavior in mice

Vomeronasal organ ablation elicits chemosensory dysfunction and abnormal behavior in mice

The effects of predator odors on stress response and reproduction in Norway rats: A review

Trap Barrier System (TBS) as a New Tool for Rodent Pest Management in Irrigated Rice in Africa

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