Paced-Mating Increases the Number of Adult New Born Cells in the Internal Cellular (Granular) Layer of the Accessory Olfactory Bulb

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 6; no. 5; p. e19380
• Main Authors: Corona, Rebeca, Larriva-Sahd, Jorge, Paredes, Raúl G.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 27.05.2011; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Accessory olfactory bulb; Analysis; Animal reproduction; Animals; B cells; Biology; Bromodeoxyuridine - metabolism; Cell Count; Cell density; Cell Division; Cellular manufacture; Continuous production; Density; Environmental changes; Female; Females; Male; Males; Mating; Neuroblasts; Neurogenesis; Neurons; Odors; Olfaction; Olfactory bulb; Olfactory Bulb - cytology; Phenotype; Pheromones; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Rodents; Sexual behavior; Sexual Behavior, Animal - physiology; Smell; Stability; Staining and Labeling; Statistics; Stem cell transplantation; Stem cells; Subventricular zone
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0019380

The continuous production and addition of new neurons during life in the olfactory bulb is well accepted and has been extensively studied in rodents. This process could allow the animals to adapt to a changing environment. Olfactory neurogenesis begins in the subventricular zone where stem cells proliferate and give rise to young undifferentiated neuroblasts that migrate along the rostral migratory stream to the olfactory bulb (OB). Olfaction is crucial for the expression of sexual behavior in rodents. In female rats, the ability to control the rate of sexual interactions (pacing) has important physiological and behavioral consequences. In the present experiment we evaluated if pacing behavior modifies the rate of new cells that reach the main and accessory olfactory bulb. The BrdU marker was injected before and after different behavioral tests which included: females placed in a mating cage (control), females allowed to pace the sexual interaction, females that mated but were not able to control the rate of the sexual interaction and females exposed to a sexually active male. Subjects were sacrificed fifteen days after the behavioral test. We observed a significant increase in the density of BrdU positive cells in the internal cellular layer of the accessory olfactory bulb when females paced the sexual interaction in comparison to the other 3 groups. No differences in the cell density in the main olfactory bulb were found. These results suggest that pacing behavior promotes an increase in density of the new cells in the accessory olfactory bulb.