Article (Scientific journals)
Enhanced urinary odor discrimination in female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice
Wesson, D. W.; Keller, Matthieu; Douhard, Quentin et al.
2006In Hormones and Behavior, 49 (5), p. 580-586
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Keywords :
estrogens; sex differences; olfaction; odor discrimination; learning
Abstract :
[en] We asked whether odor discrimination abilities are sexually dimorphic in mice and, if so, whether the perinatal actions of estradiol contribute to these sex differences. The ability to discriminate different types of urinary odors was compared in male and female wild-type (WT) subjects and in mice with a hornozygous-null mutation of the estrogen synthetic enzyme, aromatase (aromatase knockout; ArKO). Olfactory discrimination was assessed in WT and ArKO male and female mice after they were gonadectomized in adulthood and subsequently treated with estradiol benzoate. A liquid olfactometer was used to assess food-motivated olfactory discrimination capacity. All animals eventually learned to distinguish between urinary odors collected from gonadally intact males and estrous females; however, WT males as well as ArKO mice of both sexes learned this discrimination significantly more rapidly than WT females. Similar group differences were obtained when mice discriminated between urinary odors collected from gonadally intact vs. castrated males or between two non-social odorants, amyl and butyl acetate. When subjects had to discriminate volatile urinary odors from ovariectomized female mice treated with estradiol sequenced with progesterone versus estradiol alone, ArKO females quickly acquired the task whereas WT males and females as well as ArKO males failed to do so. These results demonstrated a strong sex dimorphism in olfactory discrimination ability, with WT males performing better than females. Furthermore, female ArKO mice showed an enhanced ability to discriminate very similar utinary odorants, perhaps due to an increased sensitivity of the main olfactory nervous system to adult estradiol treatment as a result perinatal estrogen deprivation. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Research center :
Giga-Neurosciences - ULiège
Disciplines :
Endocrinology, metabolism & nutrition
Neurosciences & behavior
Author, co-author :
Wesson, D. W.
Keller, Matthieu ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Douhard, Quentin ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Baum, M. J.
Bakker, Julie  ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département des sciences biomédicales et précliniques > Biologie de la différenciation sexuelle du cerveau
Language :
English
Title :
Enhanced urinary odor discrimination in female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice
Publication date :
May 2006
Journal title :
Hormones and Behavior
ISSN :
0018-506X
eISSN :
1095-6867
Publisher :
Academic Press Inc Elsevier Science, San Diego, United States - California
Volume :
49
Issue :
5
Pages :
580-586
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Funders :
NICHD - National Institutes of Health. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [US-MD] [US-MD]
Available on ORBi :
since 20 May 2011

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