Effect of Ovarian Hormones and Mating Experience on the Preference of Female Mice to Investigate Male Urinary Pheromones

• Published in: Chemical senses Vol. 43; no. 2; pp. 97 - 104
• Main Authors: McCarthy, Elizabeth A, Naik, Ajay S, Coyne, Allison F, Cherry, James A, Baum, Michael J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: UK Oxford University Press 02.02.2018
• Subjects: Animals; Estrogens - administration & dosage; Estrus; Female; Injections, Subcutaneous; Male; Mating Preference, Animal - physiology; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Original; Ovariectomy; Ovary - metabolism; Progesterone - administration & dosage; Sex Attractants - urine; Sex Factors; pheromone; female sexual behavior; odor preference; progesterone
• ISSN: 0379-864X; 1464-3553
• DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjx073

Abstract In female mice, the expression of receptive lordosis behavior requires estradiol and progesterone actions in the nervous system; however, the contribution of these hormones to females' motivation to seek out male pheromones is less clear. In an initial experiment, sexually naïve ovary-intact female mice preferred to investigate (make nasal contact with) testes-intact male as opposed to estrous female urine, provided they were in vaginal estrus. In a second experiment, groups of sexually naïve and mating-experienced, ovariectomized females were tested for urinary pheromone preference first without and then with ovarian hormone replacement. Without hormone replacement, sexually naïve ovariectomized females showed no preference for male over female urinary pheromones whereas mating-experienced females preferred to investigate male pheromones. Ovariectomized females in both groups preferred male over female urine after sequential s.c. injections with estradiol benzoate followed 2 days later with progesterone and after prolonged (7 days) exposure to estradiol alone. Our results indicate that in sexually naïve female mice estradiol, perhaps aided by progesterone, is required to motivate a preference to seek out male pheromones whereas after mating experience females' preference to investigate male pheromones persists even in the absence of ovarian hormone action.