title: Role of the vomeronasal organ on the estral cycle reduction by pheromones in the rat.
abstract: The role of he vomeronasal organ on the estral cycle reduction induced by pheromones is studied in adult female wistar rats. The animals were divided in three groups: I, intact rats; II, vomeronasalectomized rats (VNX); and III, sham operated rats (sham). Each group was submitted to another three distinct conditions from the day they were weaned (21 days old): Isolated female rats; with male odors from two adult males of tested sexual potency, and isolated rats again. The isolated intact rats show mainly 5 day length cycles. The groups I and III (intacts and sham) with male odors, show 4 day length cycles. The VNX animals show 5 day cycles in any one experimental conditions. These results support the idea that the vomeronasal organ is the receptor of the male reducing cycle pheromone in the female rat.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004971:Estrus; D005260:Female; D009296:Nasal Cavity; D009300:Nasal Septum; D010675:Pheromones / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012679:Sense Organs / Q000502:physiology*; D012903:Smell / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010675:Pheromones