Milos Novotny

Pattern of volatile compounds in dominant and subordinate male mouse urine

The urinary volatiles from dominant and subordinate male mice were chromatographically compared, both immediately and seven days after dominant-subordinate relationships between pairs were formed. Statistical comparison of the peak areas of volatile constituents present in male urine revealed that 16 urinary compounds exhibited substantial concentration differences depending upon social status of the animals. Urinary dihydrofurans, ketones, and acetates exhibited a significant, long-term (seven-day) decrease in the urine of subordinates when compared to control and dominant males. Two sesquiterpenic compounds, α- and β-farnesene, were elevated only in the dominant urine one week after dominance was established. 2-(sec-Butyl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole was found in higher concentration in bladder or excreted urine of dominant males when compared to subordinates. Of the 16 compounds subjected to statistical analysis, four exhibited hormonal dependency: α- and β-farnesene, dehydro-exo-brevicomin, and 2-(sec-butyl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole. Neither dehydro-exo-brevicomin nor 2-(sec-butyl)-4,5-dihydrothiazole was present in the urine of immature and castrated males. Testosterone treatment restores their presence in male urine. Also, α- and β-farnesene were absent in the urine of immature males and significantly reduced in the urine of castrated males. The absence of α- and β-farnesene in bladder urine suggests that one of the sex-accessory glands may be the site of their origin.

Volatile compounds associated with estrus in mouse urine: potential pheromones.

Female mice that had been made estrous through hormone implantation excreted in their urine significantly enhanced levels of n-pentyl acetate,cis-2-penten-1-yl acetate, p-toluidine, 2-heptanone, and 3 unsaturated ketones. The relationship of these volatiles to a signaling function of the estrous urine is postulated. Structural elucidations of these compounds were carried out through capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and the synthesis of authentic samples.

Chemical Studies of the Primer Mouse Pheromones

Several primer pheromone effects in laboratory mice are now well known. These include the Whitten, Bruce, Vandenbergh, and Lee-Boot effects. The first three phenomena are associated with the effect of male mouse urine on females. In the Whitten effect, male urine promotes a regular four to five day estrous cycle in female mice (Whitten, 1956, 1958; Marsden and Bronson, 1964). In the Bruce effect, urine from a “strange” male mouse will cause failure of implantation and pregnancy in a female recently mated with another male (Bruce, 1960; Bruce and Parrott, 1960; Parkes and Bruce, 1962; Dominic, 1966). The Vandenbergh effect concerns the acceleration in the onset of puberty and first estrus in prepubertal female mice exposed to urine of males (Vandenbergh, 1967, 1969; Colby and Vandenbergh, 1974). The Lee-Boot effect is a phenomenon associated with confined groups of female mice, in which females become anestrous or develop spontaneous pseudopregnancies (reviewed by Parkes and Bruce, 1961).

Stereoselectivity in mammalian chemical communication: Male mouse pheromones

Two male mouse pheromones, 3,4-dehydro-exo-brevicomin (DHB) and 2-sec-butyldihydrothiazole (SBT), are chiral molecules which were previously tested in their respective bioasays as racemic mixtures. The focus of this study has been to determine the absolute configuration of their natural forms and its relation to stereospecific biological action. DHB was established as the R,R-enantiomer possessing biological activity. Due to an extremely easy racemization of SBT under very mild conditions, enantioselectivity of its transmission and its action at the receptor site appear to be of secondary importance.

Structure-retention studies of model ketones by capillary gas chromatography

Abstract The retention indices (I) for a number of ketones were determined using linear temperature-programmed capillary gas chromatography. 2-Ketones were used as standards for the index calculations. The 95% confidence interval for triplicate determinations was found to be ± 0. 13 index unit. These retention indices and the zero-, first-, and second-order molecular connectivity factors for each compound were treated with multiple regression to yield equations to predict I. An interesting trend in the retention of symmetric ketones was noticed and rationalized on the basis of shielding of the carbonyl oxygen.

Urinary profiles of volatile and acid metabolites in germfree and conventional rats

Qualitative and quantitative differences in the urinary excretion of volatile and acidic metabolites in germfree and conventional rats were examined by capillary gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A number of carbonyl compounds, including several short-chain aliphatic ketones and acetophenone, were higher in the conventional urines, while many heterocyclic compounds (furan derivatives, benzothiazole and others) were lower. Both qualitative and quantitative differences were observed in the urinary excretion of acidic metabolites. Three meta-hydroxy phenolic acids appeared only in the conventional rat urines, while levels of many other aromatic and aliphatic acids were also higher.

New developments in bioanalytical chromatography

Abstract Recent trends in the chromatography of biological molecules are reviewed, emphasizing advances in liquid chromatography column technology, miniaturized separation systems, ultrasensitive detection, and supercritical fluid chromatography.

Chemical and Biological Investigations of Female Mouse Pheromones

The importance of chemical communication in the reproductive behavior of rodents is well documented. Female mice or rats can modulate the ovarian cycles of other females in their social group through pheromones (Bronson, 1971; McClintock, 1983). The urine of singly caged estrous females (Drickamer, 1982) and of pregnant or lactating female mice (Drickamer and Hoover, 1979; Hoover and Drickamer, 1979) has the capacity to accelerate puberty in young females and to promote estrous in adults. Odors from diestrous female rats shorten the estrous cycle, while odors from proestrous females cause prolongation. In addition, female rats that are in the acyclic state of persistent estrous are capable of inducing a similar state in other females (McClintock and Adler, 1978).

Marking Behavior in Wild Red Foxes in Response to Synthetic Volatile Urinary Compounds

Communication through the olfactory sense in wild canids may convey information relating to several variables including food, territory, dominance, pairbonding, individual or group recognition, and reproductive state. For purposes of discussion, the olfactory cues providing this information may be considered as arising from two major sources: the environment (including food, and other plant and animal odors), or other animals of the same species. Various environmental olfactory cues (including food and a few chemical substances noted by Heimburger (1959) to cause marking in wild animals), have been evaluated by Henry (1977). The second category of olfactory cues in foxes, i.e., other red foxes, is examined here.