Endocrine changes in male stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides) as a response to odor stimulation with vaginal secretions.
In mammalian species, social chemosignals are important in modulating endocrine reproductive functions. In nonhuman primates, previous studies have described a high frequency of mounting behavior by females in the follicular and periovulatory phases of the menstrual cycle. Stumptailed macaque females do not signal receptivity by means of sexual swellings, as do others macaques, therefore providing a good model in which to study chemical signaling of reproductive status. We exposed anesthetized stumptailed males to vaginal secretions of either late follicular or menses phase or to saline solution to determine the endocrine changes promoting male sexual behavior. In males exposed to follicular secretions, plasma testosterone concentrations were sustained up to 120 min after exposure. Such an effect was not observed in animals exposed to menses or saline odor sources. A luteinizing hormone surge, occurring 30 minutes after exposure to late follicular phase secretion swabs, preceded this sustained testosterone effect. The fact that late follicular scents induce sustained testosterone concentrations provides support to the idea that stumptailed males draw information concerning female reproductive status from the female's vaginal odor.
Cerda-Molina
Ana Lilia
AL
Departamento de Etología, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, México, DF. ozomatlli@hotmail.com
Hernández-López
Leonor
L
Chavira
Roberto
R
Cárdenas
Mario
M
Paez-Ponce
Denisse
D
Cervantes-De la Luz
Harry
H
Mondragón-Ceballos
Ricardo
R
D000818:Animals; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005498:Follicular Phase / Q000502:physiology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008251:Macaca; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012930:Social Dominance; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood; D014621:Vagina / Q000502:physiology*
D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D006854:Hydrocortisone