Urine collection, estrus

The results of these investigations support the conclusion that the six profile components, whose concentration is dependent on the adrenal glands, play an important role in puberty delay of young female mice. However, the changes in their concentration in the urines collected from females in the different stages of estrus cycle, or during lactation. 

Dominant female mice in groups do not release the delay substance in diestrus the urine of dominant females has no effect on female puberty relative to water-treated control mice, while urine from dominant females in estrus accelerates puberty in test females (Drickamer, in press a). Urine from subordinate females in diestrus delays puberty, but urine collected from subordinate females within groups that are in estrus does not accelerate or delay puberty (Drickamer, in press a). There are no differential delays in puberty for mice that are related or unrelated to the donor females (Drickamer, 1984b). 

Fresh urine was collected from Asian elephant females that were at the height of estrus.150 Urine was extracted with an immiscible organic solvent and concentrated. Bioassay involved reconstitution of the extract concentrate in acetone, addition of the acetone solution to (in active) urine samples from females that were not in estrus, and application to concrete slabs or logs. Observers, who were unaware of the sites where samples had been placed, recorded the flehmening responses of test bull elephants. These studies convincingly demonstrated that in Asian elephants the estrous state, and probably the receptivity of the female, is revealed by a substance or substances that can be extracted from the urine 150 of females in estrus. 

The most dramatic exhibition of flehmen by Asian elephant bulls occurs in response to female estrous urine. Bulls exhibit flehmen more to collected estrous urine samples in a bioassay situation than when in the presence of a cow in estrus. A noteworthy exception occurred when a young female experienced her first cycle the number of flehmen responses by the bull was high. An anestrous cow usually elicited brief check(s) a sudden increase in flehmen was observed as she entered the pre-ovulatory stage, rising dramatically just prior to ovulation. 

A fascinating observation was the failure of a bull (Packy) to exhibit flehmen either in response to the presence of his mother when she was in estrus or in response to estrous urine from his mother collected during peak estrus, whereas the dichloromethane extract of the same urine elicited the usual number of flehmen responses observed for estrous urine extracts. Another bull responded normally to urine from this cow. 

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