A behavioral bioassay for analysis of rabbit nipple-search pheromone.
To suckle, newborn rabbits are completely dependent on a pheromone present on the doe's ventrum and also apparently contained in the milk. Pups presented in a standardized test with 30 microliters of fresh rabbit milk on a glass rod reacted with vigorous search-like movements in 93%, and with grasping of the rod in 70% of trials, but did not respond to control presentations of other odorants. The pups were found to be most reactive 1-3 hours before the once daily nursing, and although they rapidly habituated to repeated testing, a break of 30 minutes was sufficient for the recovery of responsiveness. Even milk diluted by as much as 1:10(4) elicited significantly more responses than control substances. However, when left at room temperature it lost this behavior-releasing quality within about 20 minutes, but retained it for several months when stored at -40 degrees C. Rabbit milk thus appears to represent a ready source of nipple-search pheromone, and the behavioral response of pups to be reliable enough to serve as a bioassay for further pheromonal analysis.
Keil
W
W
Lehrstuhl für Tierphysiologie, Universität Bayreuth, Federal Republic of Germany.
von Stralendorff
F
F
Hudson
R
R
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008892:Milk / Q000032:analysis*; D009558:Nipples; D010675:Pheromones / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011817:Rabbits; D013391:Sucking Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*
D010675:Pheromones