Title: | Pheromonally accelerated puberty is enhanced by previous experience of the same stimulus |
Author(s): | Mucignat Caretta C; Caretta A; Cavaggioni A; |
Address: | "Institute of Human Physiology, University of Parma, Italy" |
DOI: | 10.1016/0031-9384(94)00344-5 |
ISSN/ISBN: | 0031-9384 (Print) 0031-9384 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "The influence of rearing conditions on pheromone-induced puberty acceleration was tested on Swiss mice. Litters were reared in one of three conditions: with either both parents, or with two females, or finally with two females in the presence of urinary pheromonal cues from adult males, which are known to induce puberty acceleration. Nine days after weaning the females were exposed to either prepubertal or adult male urine. In the groups reared with either both parents or with two females and the pheromonal cues from stranger males, females treated with adult male urine presented heavier uteri and more cornified vaginal smears than females reared in the same conditions but subsequently treated with prepubertal males urine. In the group reared simply with two females, the differences in both uterus weight and vaginal smears did not reach statistical significance. The data support the notion that early experience of pheromonal cues may influence the response to pheromones in a later period, even if the preweaning exposure to males had no direct influence on early signs of puberty onset" |
Keywords: | "Animals Cues Estrus/*physiology Female Male Mental Recall/physiology Mice Sex Attractants/*physiology Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology Sexual Maturation/*physiology Smell/physiology *Social Environment;" |
Notes: | "MedlineMucignat Caretta, C Caretta, A Cavaggioni, A eng Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't 1995/05/01 Physiol Behav. 1995 May; 57(5):901-3. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(94)00344-5" |