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Horm Behav

Title:		Relevance of ovarian signaling for the early behavioral transition from estrus to pregnancy in the female rabbit
Author(s):		Hoffman KL; Gonzalez-Mariscal G;
Address:		"Centro de Investigacion en Reproduccion Animal (CIRA), CINVESTAV-Universidad Autonoma de Tlaxcala, Mexico. rexvitro@hotmail.com"
Journal Title:		Horm Behav
Year:		2007
Volume:		20070725
Issue:		4
Page Number:		531 - 539
DOI:		10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.07.007
ISSN/ISBN:		0018-506X (Print) 0018-506X (Linking)
Abstract:		"During estrus, the female domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) displays scent marking behavior (chinning), which is immediately inhibited after mating, temporarily recovers, and then declines and remains inhibited across pregnancy. Chinning is inhibited by progesterone (P) and the activation of the progesterone receptor (PR), but it is unlikely that P participates in the 'acute' (immediate) or 'early' inhibition of chinning (24 to 96 h post-mating, before plasma P levels rise). Since PR is activated in a ligand-independent manner by a variety of signaling molecules, some of which (e.g., GnRH) are also associated with reflexive ovulation in this species, we hypothesized that neurochemical/neuroendocrine signals associated with mating activate PR, resulting in the inhibition of chinning. In Experiment 1, we tested whether the PR antagonist, RU486 (20 mg, injected s.c. at -1 h, or at -7 h and +3 h relative to mating) prevented the post-mating inhibition of chinning in intact females. RU486 did not prevent the post-mating decline in chinning, indicating that PR activation associated with mating is not necessary for this effect. In Experiment 2, we used ovariectomized (OVX), estradiol benzoate (EB)-treated females to test the hypothesis that ovarian signaling is necessary for the post-mating inhibition of chinning. The acute inhibition of chinning occurred in OVX females, but the early inhibition was absent. We conclude that ovarian signaling is necessary for the early, but not acute, post-mating inhibition of chinning. The PR seems not to participate in either of these phases"
Keywords:		"Animal Communication Animals Behavior, Animal/*physiology Estrous Cycle/*metabolism Female Ovary/metabolism/*physiology Ovulation Inhibition/physiology Pheromones/metabolism Pregnancy Progesterone/metabolism/physiology Rabbits Receptors, Progesterone/*met;"
Notes:		"MedlineHoffman, K L Gonzalez-Mariscal, G eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 2007/08/28 Horm Behav. 2007 Nov; 52(4):531-9. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2007.07.007. Epub 2007 Jul 25"