Title: | Induction of Fos in the accessory olfactory system by male odors persists in female mice with a null mutation of the aromatase (cyp19) gene |
Author(s): | Lau YE; Cherry JA; Baum MJ; Mani SK; |
Address: | "Department of Biology, Boston University, Cummington St., Boston, MA 02215, USA" |
DOI: | 10.1016/s0361-9230(03)00024-8 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0361-9230 (Print) 0361-9230 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The ability of odors from soiled male bedding to induce neuronal Fos-immunoreactivity (IR) in sensory neurons located in both the apical and basal zones of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and in two segments of the VNO-projection pathway, the anterior nucleus of the medial amygdala and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), was significantly reduced in adult, ovariectomized, estrogen-treated female mice with a homozygous null mutation of the cyp19 gene (ArKO) which encodes the estrogen biosynthetic P450 enzyme, aromatase. However, a significant odor-induced activation of Fos-IR was seen in other segments of the VNO-projection pathway of ArKO females, including the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) granule cell layer, the posterior-dorsal medial amygdala (MePD), and the medial preoptic area (MPA). These results suggest that the VNO/accessory olfactory pathway to the hypothalamus was functional in ArKO females even though they had presumably been exposed to less estrogenic stimulation than wild-type (WT) control females throughout development and until the time that estrogen treatment was begun in adulthood. Thus, the hypothesis of Toran-Allerand [Prog. Brain Res. 61 (1984) 63] that female-typical features of neuroendocrine and behavioral function require perinatal exposure to estrogen was not supported, at least for the VNO/accessory olfactory system" |
Keywords: | "Animals Aromatase/*genetics Bedding and Linens Estradiol/administration & dosage/*analogs & derivatives Female Immunohistochemistry Male Mice Mice, Inbred C57BL Mice, Knockout *Mutation *Odorants Olfactory Bulb/cytology/*drug effects/metabolism Ovariectom;" |
Notes: | "MedlineLau, Y E Cherry, J A Baum, M J Mani, S K eng MH57442/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ MH59200/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/ Comparative Study Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. 2003/05/03 Brain Res Bull. 2003 Apr 15; 60(1-2):143-50. doi: 10.1016/s0361-9230(03)00024-8" |