Female hamster vaginal secretion

In support of this contention, the carrier protein Aphrodisin makes an early appearance in vaginal secretions. In pre-pubertal hamsters, it thus indicates chemosensory preparation for the onset of female maturity (Magert, 1999). The proven ability of the AOS to modulate the CNS-pituitary-gonadal axis by advancing or retarding endocrine activity (Chap. 5), underlines its role as primarily the chemosensor of the reproductive system. The adaptive consequence of responses, which allows an avoidance of premature breeding, or of a postponement of puberty, would seem to be advantageous. 

Hormonal influences may be limited to sexually relevant cues, since not all scent marks are socially relevant in all situations (Petrulis et al., 1995 and 1997). Chemoinvestigation by male hamsters of the female-indicator compound DMDS was independent of T. and did not differ from that of females. In contrast, the frequency of chemoinvestigation by castrates to vaginal secretion (containing DMDS) was enhanced by T. intact males investigated FHVS five times more than they do the females. 

Kwan, M. and Johnston, R. E. (1980) The role of vaginal secretion in hamster sexual behavior males responses to normal and vaginectomized females and their odors. J. Comp. Physiol. Psychol. 94, 905-13. 

Powers, J. B., Fields, R. B. and Winans, S. S. (1979) Olfactory and vomeronasal system articipation in male hamsters attraction to female vaginal secretions. Physiol. Behav. 22, 77-84. 

Male hamsters discriminate between female vaginal secretions deposited 24h apart (Johnston Schmidt 1979) and meadow voles respond more strongly to fresh compared to one day old anogenital scents (Ferkin, Burda, O Connor Lee 1995), but age differences are not necessary for either hamsters (Johnston et al 1995) or meadow voles (Johnston et al. 1997b) to discriminate between scent marks and counter-marks if these physically overlap, at least in part. However, our preliminary experiments with wild house mice suggest that an age difference in scents is necessary for female mice to discriminate between the urinary scent marks and counter-marks of competing males. We found that females discriminated in... 

Figure 2. Mean number ( SE) of scent marks by male and female hamsters in response to flank gland secretion from kin and non-kin. (A) Flank marks of males and females to same-sex odors and vaginal marks of females to odors of males. (B) Vaginal marks of females to flank odors of males. (Non-Br - non-brother Non-Sis - non-sister graph after data in Heth, Todrank Johnston, 1998).

In a few cases these compounds have been identified. Dimethyl sulfide (56) and methylthiol butyrate (57) (MTB) were identified in the vaginal secretion of female hamsters (288, 289). Methylthiol butyrate is readily converted to methyl disulfide (58) (DMS) by hydrolysis and even more readily by aminolysis followed by air oxidation of the re-... 

Steel, E. Odour Recognition by Male Hamster Discrimination of the Hormonal State of Females by Odour from Vaginal Secretions. J. Endocr. 105, 255-262 (1985). 

Dimethyl disulfide, CH3S—SCH3, found in the vaginal secretions of female hamsters, acts as a sexual attractant for the male hamster. Write an equation for its synthesis from methanethiol. 

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