Boar pheromone androstenol may affect the ovarian morphology in cycling gilts by humoral pathway.
Up to 1999 it was accepted that pheromones act exclusively by stimulation of dendritic receptors of olfactory neurons massed in the olfactory epithelium, but in 1999-2000, the presence of local humoral pathway for transfer of boar pheromone androstenol from the nasal cavity to the hypophysis and brain was demonstrated in gilts. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether boar pheromone androstenol may affect by humoral pathway the ovarian morphology in gilts. This study demonstrated that intramuscular injections of androstenol in the follicular phase (17-20 day) of the estrous cycle in anosmatic gilts, in which the neural pathway for olfactory function was experimentally blocked, produced lack of the ovulation and changes in the morphology of ovaries. Histological analysis of the ovaries, collected seven days after androstenol injections, revealed the absence of corpora lutea and healthy follicles of a diameter over 6 mm as well as a significant decrease in the number of the follicles up to I mm in diameter (P<0.01). In androstenol-treated gilts, the number of atretic follicles from 1 mm to 6 mm in size was increased (P<0.01-P<0.001) and in one gilt cysts were found. The obtained results provided some evidence that in gilts in addition to acting by standard neural pathway, androstenol as a priming pheromone may affect the ovarian morphology by a humoral pathway.
Stefańczyk-Krzymowska
S
S
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Pathophysiology, Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Olsztyn. skrzym@pan.olsztyn.pl
Wasowska
B
B
Jana
B
B
D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000737:Androstenols / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D008297:Male; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000502:physiology*; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000473:pathology; D009833:Olfactory Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000187:drug effects; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine
D000728:Androgens; D000737:Androstenols; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D012724:Sex Attractants