title: Profiles of volatiles in male rat urine: the effect of puberty on the female attraction.
abstract: Rat urine contains many volatile constituents that may be used for chemical communication. The levels of certain urinary volatiles are strongly dependent on the sex and endocrine status (e.g., puberty). We performed chemical and behavioral studies to identify the volatiles in adult male rat urine that attract mature females. Our results demonstrated that adult male rats have higher levels of 2-heptanone (2-HP), 4-methylphenol (4-MP), and 4-ethylphenol (4-EP) than prepubescent male rats; furthermore, female rats are more attracted to the odor of adult male rat urine than that of prepubescent males. When prepubescent rat urine was supplemented with 2-HP, 4-MP, and 4-EP to the levels found in adult male urine, the attractiveness of the urine to females was markedly enhanced. Our results suggested that this attraction is due to an increased level of chemosignaling.
authors.affiliation: Division of Physiology, Department of Oral Biology, School of Dentistry, Health Sciences University of Hokkaido, Ishikari-Tobetsu, Hokkaido, 061-0293, Japan. osadak@hoku-iryo-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osada
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kashiwayanagi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Izumi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003408:Cresols / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D007659:Ketones / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D010636:Phenols / Q000652:urine*; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal; D012741:Sexual Maturation
chemical_list: D003408:Cresols; D007659:Ketones; D010636:Phenols; C032538:4-cresol; C011917:2-heptanone; C042291:4-ethylphenol