Endocrinology, Vol 98, 1101-1108, Copyright © 1976 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Differential effects of male stimuli on follicle-stimulating hormone, luteinizing hormone, and prolactin secretion in prepubertal female mice

FH Bronson and JA Maruniak

Puberty may be induced rapidly in young female mice by exposing them to adult males. The relevant male stimuli include a urinary pheromone and tactile cues, the latter acting in a potentiating capacity. The specific action of the urinary pheromone on pituitary gonadotropins was the subject of the present research. Immature females of a standard size were either paired with adult males, isolated and their bedding sprayed with male urine, or maintained as isolated controls. Exposure to male urine resulted in a rapid and significant release of LH (30 min) which was maintained at an average of 50% higher than levels in isolated controls throughout the 48 h experiment; no immediate changes were observed in either serum FSH or prolactin, but FSH was depressed and prolactin rose progressively during later sampling periods. Cohabitation with an adult male yielded parallel but decidedly stronger reponses in the concentrations of all three hormones. Exogenous estrogen, administered in a second experiment at a dosage previously found to mimic the puberty-inducing action of a male, suppressed serum FSH and LH while elevating serum prolactin. Thus, the present results suggest a) that the male's urinary stimulus exerts its action on immature females via LH release with no immediate and/or direct effects on the other two tropic hormones, and b) that the delayed alterations in serum FSH and prolactin concentrations accompanying male- and/or urine-exposure are secondary consequences of an LH-induced release of estradiol. Attempts to induce the entire pubertal cycle in intact females with subovulating doses of LH, nevertheless, were unsuccessful.

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