Human axillary secretions influence women's menstrual cycles: The role of donor extract from men

Cutler, Winnifred B.; Preti, George; Krieger, Abba M.; Huggins, George R.; García, Celso-Ramón; Lawley, Henry J.

doi:10.1016/0018-506x(86)90008-5

Cited by 147 publications

(46 citation statements)

References 20 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The authors concluded that these data support the concept of an active VNO-hypothalamic-pituitary neural axis (although without any known anatomical correlates), and they pointed out a variety of potential therapeutic uses for VNO stimulants that might affect hypothalamic function, ranging from treatment of anxiety and other CNS disorders to hormone replacement therapy (78). In a different study that is consistent with this idea, although not specific to the VNO, Stern and McClintock (79), following earlier work by Cutler, Preti, and colleagues (80,81), showed that consciously undetected compounds (purported pheromones), when applied to the upper lip and presumably inhaled nasally, altered reproductive cycles in women.…”

Section: Evidence For a Functional Vno-cns Connectionsupporting

confidence: 73%

The vomeronasal organ and chemical sensitivity: a hypothesis.

Greene

Kipen

2002

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Environmental exposures to very low levels of airborne chemicals are associated with adverse symptoms, often affecting multiple organ systems, in the phenomenon of chemical sensitivity (CS). Recent surveys suggest a significant prevalence of chemically sensitive subjects in the United States, but the mechanism linking exposure to symptoms remains unclear, despite the advancement of a variety of theoretical models. In many of these models, exposure of the nasal respiratory system to an airborne agent is the first step in the pathway leading to symptoms. In this article, we advance the hypothesis that interactions between environmental chemicals and the vomeronasal organ (

show abstract

Section: Evidence For a Functional Vno-cns Connectionsupporting

confidence: 73%

The vomeronasal organ and chemical sensitivity: a hypothesis.

Greene

Kipen

2002

Environ Health Perspect

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Healthy male paid volunteers (ages 21-40) were employed as apocrine secretion donors. The criteria for donor selection has been reported (6,7,12,13). Each donor had large numbers of lipophilic diphtheroids in their axillary region.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies by Cutler et al (6) and Preti et al (7) were the first prospectively conducted double-blind studies to attempt menstrual cycle alterations by using axillary extracts from male and female donors. The above studies suggest that certain axillary components function as chemical signals involved in the regulation of reproductive function via alteration of the hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis; chemical signals with this mode of action are termed primer pheromones (8).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

A human axillary odorant is carried by apolipoprotein D.

Zeng

Spielman

Vowels

et al. 1996

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

156

108

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The characterization of the source of the odor in the human axillary region is not only of commercial interest but is also important biologically because axillary extracts can alter the length and timing of the female menstrual cycle. In males, the most abundant odor component is known to be E-3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid (E-3M2H), which is liberated from nonodorous apocrine secretions by axillary microorganisms. Recently, it was found that in the apocrine gland secretions, 3M2H is carried to the skin surface bound to two proteins, apocrine secretion odor-binding proteins 1 and 2 (ASOBI and ASOB2) with apparent molecular masses of 45 kDa and 26 kDa, respectively. To better understand the formation of axillary odors and the structural relationship between 3M2H and its carrier protein, the amino acid sequence and glycosylation pattern of ASOB2 were determined by mass spectrometry. Axillary secretions and odors are derived from an area of the body with exceptional odor-producing capabilities. Several types of skin glands, including apocrine, eccrine, sebaceous, and apoeccrine glands, contribute moisture and substrate to a large permanent population of cutaneous microflora (9). These consist of lipophilic and large colony diptheroids as well as micrococci. These microorganisms generate a variety of odoriferous compounds that characterize the axillary region. In vivo correlations of odor quality and axillary bacterial populations have demonstrated that the aerobic diptheroids are associated with the stronger, more distinct axillary odor (9).A number of investigations of axillary constituents have focused upon the interesting steroidal molecules found there (10, 11). Volatile odoriferous steroids such as 5a-androst-16-en-313-ol (androstenol) and 5a-androst-16-en-3-one (androstenone) as well as nonvolatile steroid sulfates were identified and quantitated by radioimmunoassay and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) (10,11), The urine/muskylike odors of androstenone and androstenol were thought by some investigators to be suggestive of axillary odor (9-11). However, recent studies (12, 13) have presented both organoleptic and analytical evidence that a mixture of C6-C11, straight-chain, branched, and unsaturated acids constitute the characteristic axillary odor. In combined male samples, the E-isomer of 3-methyl-2-hexenoic acid (3M2H) is the dominant analytical component of the mixture, while in combined female samples the straight-chain acids are present in greater relative abundance (14). The Z-isomer is also present in both genders, however in different relative abundance: 10:1 (E/Z) in males (12) and 16:1 (E/Z) in females (14).More than 30 years ago, it was demonstrated that the odorless precursors of axillary odor are present in apocrine gland secretions and that the characteristic odor arises from interaction of the odorless apocrine secretion precursors with the axillary microflora (15). The water-soluble components of apocrine secretion were found to contain the odorless precursors of the characterist...

show abstract

“…Somewhat analogous to the studies in laboratory mice, axillary extracts from men make the ovulatory cycles of women more regular. 44 It has also been shown that the same extracts advance the release of luteinizing hormone in women by around 20%; 45 this is the hormone that causes ovulation and the finding could therefore explain the observed effect on ovulatory cycles. Savic has demonstrated that androgenous odours stimulate the ventromedial hypothalamus in women (but not men) 46 (Figure 7).…”

Section: Pheromone Responses In Humansmentioning

confidence: 96%

Sex and the nose: human pheromonal responses

Bhutta

2007

J R Soc Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The chemosensory functions of the human nose are underappreciated. Traditional teaching is that the sense of smell detects volatile compounds, which may then allow the identification of substances that may be beneficial or harmful—such as good versus putrefied food. However, increasing evidence from research in other animals suggests that olfaction may serve another and more important purpose, that of mate selection in sexual reproduction; indeed, olfaction may be an essential impetus for evolution.

show abstract

Human axillary secretions influence women's menstrual cycles: The role of donor extract from men

Cited by 147 publications

References 20 publications

The vomeronasal organ and chemical sensitivity: a hypothesis.

The vomeronasal organ and chemical sensitivity: a hypothesis.

A human axillary odorant is carried by apolipoprotein D.

Sex and the nose: human pheromonal responses

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About