Olfactory exposure to males, including men, causes stress and related analgesia in rodents.
We found that exposure of mice and rats to male but not female experimenters produces pain inhibition. Male-related stimuli induced a robust physiological stress response that results in stress-induced analgesia. This effect could be replicated with T-shirts worn by men, bedding material from gonadally intact and unfamiliar male mammals, and presentation of compounds secreted from the human axilla. Experimenter sex can thus affect apparent baseline responses in behavioral testing.
1] Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [2] Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. [3].
Robert E
RE
Sorge
1] Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [2].
Loren J
LJ
Martin
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Kelsey A
KA
Isbester
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Susana G
SG
Sotocinal
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Sarah
S
Rosen
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Alexander H
AH
Tuttle
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jeffrey S
JS
Wieskopf
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Erinn L
EL
Acland
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Anastassia
A
Dokova
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Basil
B
Kadoura
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Philip
P
Leger
Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Josiane C S
JC
Mapplebeck
Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA.
Martina
M
McPhail
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Ada
A
Delaney
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Gustaf
G
Wigerblad
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Alan P
AP
Schumann
Department of Psychology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Tammie
T
Quinn
1] Research Centre, Sacré Coeur Hospital, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [2] Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Johannes
J
Frasnelli
Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Camilla I
CI
Svensson
Department of Psychology, Haverford College, Haverford, Pennsylvania, USA.
Wendy F
WF
Sternberg
1] Department of Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. [2] Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Jeffrey S
JS
Mogil
D000698:Analgesia; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D051381:Rats; D013312:Stress, Physiological