Sex-specific effects of gonadal steroids on conspecific odor preference in the rat

Xiao, Kai; Kondo, Yasuhiko; Sakuma, Yasuo

doi:10.1016/j.yhbeh.2004.05.008

Cited by 66 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…The lesioned female stayed in the vicinity of the male for The results showed that the MeA is involved in the estrogen-dependent regulation of partner preference [43]. The significance of estrogen in producing preference for the male has been shown by a runway-choice study, which also detects the level of motivation to seek out males, presumably using odor as a clue [13].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…When presented odors of sexually active and inactive males, sexually motivated females spend longer time to 35 explore odors from sexually active males. This test also measures female sexual motivation without influence by stimulus male behavior [43].Since the body of our knowledge on neural circuits for female sexual behavior has been accumulated by studying lordosis, a reflexive component of female rat sexual behavior, some researchers start on reevaluation of the regulatory mechanisms of female sexual behavior by means of these test paradigms [16, 40 21, 44, 45]. The lateral septum and the medial preoptic area both have been known to belong to lordosis inhibitory system because destruction of the areas facilitate lordosis in female rats.…”

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confidence: 99%

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The Medial Amygdala Controls the Coital Access of Female Rats: A Possible Involvement of Emotional Responsiveness

Kondo

Sakuma

2005

JJP

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Partner preference and paced mating tests were accomplished in ovariectomized female rats 10 following bilateral radiofrequency lesions in the medial amygdala. Open field behavior and passive avoidance learning were also examined to investigate the underlying behavioral mechanism. Partner preference was determined in a chamber located between castrated and sexually active males. Airborne olfactory cues were presented to the female through small holes on the partition. The lesion diminished preference for the odor of sexually active males over that of castrated males, even after injection with 15 high-dose of estrogen. On the other hand, in a paced mating test, the lesioned females without estrogen treatment showed a significantly shorter latency for entering the male's compartment in a two-compartment apparatus, which allowed the females, but not the males, to cross the barrier through a narrow opening at the bottom. However, administration of estrogen and progesterone reduced the effect. The lesion had no effect on emotionality or exploratory behavior in an open field test, but impaired passive avoidance learning 20 capability. We suggest that a male poses an inherent threat to a female. The seemingly incompatible results of partner preference and paced mating tests can be compromised if the male is inherently aversive to the female; this emotional response can be removed by the medial amygdala lesion. [The Japanese Journal of Physiology 55(6), 2005, in press] Key words: female sexual behavior, partner preference, paced mating, medial amygdala, estrogen. 25In the wild rat, sexual interactions are initiated and paced by females in estrus through patterns of approach toward and withdrawal from sexually active males [15]. Although some components of female sexual behavior imply the appetitive aspect, the initiative by females, however, is obscured by male active pursuit when tested in ordinary laboratory situation such as in an aquarium. To solve this problem, several researchers are directing attention to paced mating situation, mimicking wild environment [14, 38]. In the 30 paced mating, female rats can stay a place inaccessible for males and visit a compartment for mating with stimulus males. The situation allows females to regulate their own copulatory pacing without disturbance by males. Pacing behavior, then, is thought to reflect their sexual motivation.Olfactory preference toward sexually active males is also affected by female sexual motivation. When presented odors of sexually active and inactive males, sexually motivated females spend longer time to 35 explore odors from sexually active males. This test also measures female sexual motivation without influence by stimulus male behavior [43].Since the body of our knowledge on neural circuits for female sexual behavior has been accumulated by studying lordosis, a reflexive component of female rat sexual behavior, some researchers start on reevaluation of the regulatory mechanisms of female sexual behavior by means of these test paradigms [16, 4...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 91%

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confidence: 99%

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The Medial Amygdala Controls the Coital Access of Female Rats: A Possible Involvement of Emotional Responsiveness

Kondo

Sakuma

2005

JJP

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“…In their reports, it was demonstrated that female mice preferred the urine of dominant males over that of subordinates, but females in diestrus did not [11]. Ovariectomized female rats treated with estrogen and progesterone preferred the odor of intact males to that of castrated ones, though ovariectomized females with no treatment showed no preference [21]. These results indicate that female odor preference correlates with the estrus cycle.…”

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confidence: 95%

Estrus Cycle-Related Preference of BALB/c Female Mice for C57BL/6 Males Is Induced by Estrogen

2012

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ABSTRAcT. The odor preference of female mice for male odor is reported to have cyclical variations in relation to the estrus cycle. Females prefer the odor of genetically dissimilar males to that of genetically similar ones, but the causal relation between this preference and the estrus cycle has scarcely been investigated. The Y-maze test demonstrated that BALB/c females stayed for a longer duration near the urine of c57BL/6 males than that of BALB/c males when they were in metestrus, diestrus and proestrus, but not in estrus. The prolonged stay disappeared after ovariectomy, and administration of estradiol-17β restored the tendency. The present results suggest that the odor preference of BALB/c females for c57BL/6 over BALB/c males temporally changes according to the estrus cycle and that estrogen can be one of endogenous factors regulating this phenomenon.

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“…This decrease in sniffing in the pre-partum period contrasts with the results found in rats, a species in which maximal levels of attraction to pup odours are evident close to delivery (Bauer, 1983;Fleming et al, 1989;Kinsley and Bridges, 1990). However, the correlation between changes in sniffs towards the "pup box" and variations in the hormonal milieu throughout pregnancy coincides with evidence showing that hormones modulate particular aspects of olfactory function in rodents (Pietras and Moulton, 1974;Yu et al, 1996a;Halem et al, 1999Halem et al, , 2001Baum and Keverne, 2002;Xiao et al, 2004) and carnivores (Kelliher et al, 1998). Moreover, oxytocin action on the olfactory bulb is associated with the induction of maternal behaviour in estrogen-primed virgin rats (Yu et al, 1996b) and sheep (Kendrick et al, 1987;Lévy et al, 1995).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 45%

Changes in responsiveness to kit odours across pregnancy: relevance for the onset of maternal behaviour

Chirino

González‐Mariscal

2015

World Rabbit Sci.

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Virgin does are indifferent to foster kits but lesions to the main or accessory olfactory systems allow them to behave "maternally" (i.e., they crouch over the litter and allow suckling). This suggests that kit-derived olfactory cues are aversive to virgins but not to lactating does. We hypothesised that the valence of such olfactory cues changes throughout gestation so that, at parturition, does are attracted to the newborn and can then show placentophagia, clean the kits and nurse them. To explore this hypothesis we exposed does to 2 nest boxes containing a variety of pup-derived vs. "neutral" odours, quantifying the number of sniffs and entrances to each box over 60 min. Virgins, confronted with 2 different types of contrasts, showed no significant differences in the number of sniffs or entrances directed at any of the 2 boxes. Pregnant rabbits sniffed the "kit-odour" box significantly more than the "neutral" one as early as gestation day 7, depending on the animals' experience with the experimental setup and kit odours as virgins. The number of sniffs declined in late pregnancy in all groups. Entrances into the "kit-odour" box were few and significantly higher than those shown towards the "neutral" box only in 1 group. Our findings agree with a correlation between a shift in the valence of kit-derived olfactory cues and the hormonal changes known to occur throughout pregnancy. The relevance of this phenomenon for the onset of maternal responsiveness at parturition is discussed.

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Sex-specific effects of gonadal steroids on conspecific odor preference in the rat

Cited by 66 publications

References 27 publications

The Medial Amygdala Controls the Coital Access of Female Rats: A Possible Involvement of Emotional Responsiveness

The Medial Amygdala Controls the Coital Access of Female Rats: A Possible Involvement of Emotional Responsiveness

Estrus Cycle-Related Preference of BALB/c Female Mice for C57BL/6 Males Is Induced by Estrogen

Changes in responsiveness to kit odours across pregnancy: relevance for the onset of maternal behaviour

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