Role of the flank gland in vasopressin induced scent marking behavior in the hamster.
The present study examined whether the induction of scent marking behavior and grooming of the flank gland region by injection of arginine-vasopressin (AVP) or oxytocin (OXY) into the anterior hypothalamus-medial preoptic area (AH-MPOA) required the presence of the flank glands. The flank glands were surgically removed (GLDX) in ten hamsters or patches of skin just dorsal to the flank glands were removed (SHAM) in the control group (N = 7). No statistically significant differences were observed in flank marking or flank grooming between the GLDX and SHAM groups during a 10 min test period immediately following injection of AVP or OXY. AVP and OXY injection produced similar amounts of flank grooming, but AVP resulted in significantly (p less than 0.01) more flank marking than OXY. These data indicate that scent marking induced by AVP injected into the AH-MPOA is similar to environmentally induced scent marking in not requiring the presence of an intact scent gland.
D000818:Animals; D001127:Arginine Vasopressin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects*; D006224:Cricetinae; D005088:Exocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D005246:Feedback; D006120:Grooming / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000187:drug effects*; D012543:Scent Glands / Q000502:physiology*
D001127:Arginine Vasopressin; D010121:Oxytocin