Psychosocial stress and volatile compounds in preputial glands of rats.
Pheromones are volatile chemical cues that in rodents originate in large part from the preputial glands and influence various behavioral and physiological processes. We have examined the effect of psychosocial stress on volatile compound composition of preputial glands of male rats. Rats were housed three per cage or singly for 70 days. Dominants had heavier preputials compared to subdominant and subordinate rats. Capillary gas chromatographic mass spectrometry identified 55 volatile preputial compounds: 17 did not differ between groups, while 26 compounds were higher in single-housed compared to triad-housed rats. Six compounds were higher in dominant, while another six were higher in both dominant and single-housed rats. We conclude that both housing condition and rank status have significant differential effects on the preputial volatile compounds.
Pohorecky
Larissa A
LA
Center of Alcohol Studies, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-1100, USA. larissa@rci.rutgers.edu
Ma
Weidong
W
Blakley
Gregory G
GG
Soini
H A
HA
Novotny
Milos V
MV
D000378:Agonistic Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D006799:Housing, Animal; D008297:Male; D010675:Pheromones / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D020318:Rats, Long-Evans; D012543:Scent Glands / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism
D010675:Pheromones; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds