Decreases in urinary pheromonal activities in male mice after exposure to 3-methylchoranthrene.
Many classes of environmental pollutants, which are found at significant levels in the environment, affect the reproductive functions. The gonadal functions of various animals are regulated by pheromones excreted from mating partners. Pheromones in male urine play essential roles in the sexual maturation of female mice. Pheromones are received by sensory neurons in the vomeronasal organ, which innervate to the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB). The effects of a typical aromatic environmental pollutant (3-methylchoranthrene) on excretion of pheromones from male mice were explored based on neuronal Fos responses of the AOB of female mice. On days 1 and 3 after intraperitoneal administration of 3-methylchoranthrene (3-MC), the density of Fos-immunoreactive (Fos-ir) cells in the AOB of female mice after exposure to urine excreted from the administered males was lower than that after exposure to urine from non-administered males. These results suggest that 3-MC blocks chemical communication from male to female mice by reducing pheromonal activities.
Shiraiwa
Takeshi
T
Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo 060-0812, Japan.
Kamiyama
Naoya
N
Kashiwayanagi
Makoto
M
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008748:Methylcholanthrene / Q000633:toxicity*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000378:metabolism; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012724:Sex Attractants / Q000652:urine*; D019147:Vomeronasal Organ / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
D000393:Air Pollutants; D011506:Proteins; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012724:Sex Attractants; C035737:major urinary proteins; D008748:Methylcholanthrene