Increased squalene concentrations in the clitoral gland during the estrous cycle in rats: An estrus-indicating scent mark?
| Autor: | Ramaiyan Sankar, Palanivel Kokilavani, Soundarapandian Kannan, Yoshiaki Habara, Soundararajan Kamalakkannan, Govindaraju Archunan, Udhayaraj Suriyakalaa, Shanmugam Achiraman, Devaraj Sankarganesh, Bethunaicken Abirami |
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| Rok vydání: | 2011 |
| Předmět: |
Male
Squalene Rat Clitoral Gland Olfactory system medicine.medical_specialty Clitoral Gland Vomeronasal organ Biology Reproductive cycle Clitoris Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry chemistry.chemical_compound Estrus Food Animals Internal medicine medicine Animals Rats Wistar Sex Attractants Small Animals Estrous cycle Behavior Animal Equine Grooming Rats Endocrinology chemistry Pheromone Female Animal Science and Zoology Vomeronasal Organ Estrus Detection |
| Zdroj: | Theriogenology. 76:1676-1683 |
| ISSN: | 0093-691X |
| Popis: | Squalene in the rat clitoral gland is reported to be semi-volatile and may serve as a chemo-signal. The objective was to determine squalene concentrations in the clitoral gland throughout the reproductive cycle. Clitoral glands were extracted with dichloromethane; 23 compounds were identified with Gas Chromatography linked Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). Since squalene concentrations were significantly higher during proestrus and estrus, and remarkably reduced during metestrus and diestrus, we inferred that it could be an ovulation-indicating chemosignal in the female rat, acting as a scent mark for the male. This hypothesis was tested by investigating its efficacy to attract males, including studying the role of the olfactory-vomeronasal system of the male in perceiving squalene. For detection of squalene, males used their conventional olfactory system when at a distance from the female, whereas the vomeronasal organ was used when they were in close proximity to the female. We concluded that squalene was a female-specific chemosignal that attracted males, and furthermore, that the olfactory-vomeronasal system had an important role in the perception of squalene. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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