Medial Preoptic/Anterior Hypothalamic Lesions Induce a Female-Typical Profile of Sexual Partner Preference in Male Ferrets

Kindon, Heather; Baum, Michael J.; Paredes, RG

doi:10.1006/hbeh.1996.0055

Cited by 85 publications

(61 citation statements)

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“…The absence of any effect of POA/AH lesions in female ferrets contrasts with our previous studies using male ferrets in which either excitotoxic (Paredes and Baum, 1995) or electrolytic (Kindon et al, 1996) lesions of the POA/AH caused a reversal of partner preference. These lesions, which bilaterally damaged the sexually dimorphic male nucleus (MN) of the ferret's POA/AH (Tobet et al, 1986), thereby duplicated the preference profile seen in sham-operated control females.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…In male ferrets, perinatal exposure to testosterone of testicular origin and/or to estradiol synthesized by aromatization of this testosterone in the developing hypothalamus promotes a male-typical differentiation of a preference to seek out body odors emitted from females (Baum et al, 1990). Our prior experiments (Alekseyenko et al, submitted for publication; Kindon et al, 1996;Paredes and Baum, 1995) suggest that this male-typical profile of female-directed preference depends on the differentiation of sexually dimorphic MH-POA/AH which may override any VMHdependent processing of body odors leading to a female-typical preference to approach male odors. In male rodents, the capacity to display sexually receptive (lordosis) behavior in response to adult ovarian hormone treatment is dramatically reduced due to the defeminizing action of estradiol during perinatal brain sexual differentiation (reviewed in Baum, 1979).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

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Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Robarts

Baum

2007

Hormones and Behavior

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Previous research showed that ferrets of both sexes rely on the perception of conspecifics' body odors to identify and motivate approach towards opposite-sex mating partners, and exposure to male body odors stimulated Fos expression in an olfactory projection circuit of female, but not male, ferrets that terminates in the ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus (VMH). We asked whether the female-typical preference of ferrets to approach male as opposed to female body odors in Y-maze tests would be disrupted by VMH lesions. Sexually experienced female ferrets were ovo-hysterectomized prior to receiving bilateral electrolytic lesions of the VMH, the preoptic area/anterior hypothalamus (POA/ AH) or a sham operation. Subsequently, while receiving estradiol benzoate, females that received either complete or partial bilateral lesions of the VMH approached volatile odors from an anesthetized male on significantly fewer trials than females given POA/AH lesions or a sham operation. Both groups of ferrets with VMH lesion damage reliably discriminated between volatile anal scents as well as urinary odors from the 2 sexes in home cage habituation/dishabituation tests, suggesting that their odor-based sex discrimination remained intact. Females with complete bilateral VMH lesions showed significantly lower acceptance of neck gripping from a stimulus male (receptivity) and more aggression towards the male than all other groups of female subjects. Estrogen-sensitive neurons in the VMH appear to play a central role in female-typical neural processing of odor inputs leading to a preference to seek out a male sex partner, in addition to facilitating females' sexual receptivity.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Robarts

Baum

2007

Hormones and Behavior

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“…Furthermore, MPOA lesions did not affect the frequency of masturbation in monkeys [58] or noncontact erections, a measure of psychogenic erections, in rats [59]. In contrast to those studies, lesions of the MPOA diminished preference for a female partner in rats [60 -62] and ferrets [63,64], decreased pursuit of a female by male rats [65], and inhibited precopulatory behavior in marmosets [66], suggesting that the MPOA may indeed be important for the appetitive aspects of sexual behavior. Therefore, the MPOA contributes to, but is not essential for, sexual motivation.…”

Section: Role Of the Mpoa In Regulating Male Sexual Motivationmentioning

confidence: 74%

Dopamine, the medial preoptic area, and male sexual behavior

Domínguez

Hull

2005

Physiology & Behavior

248

190

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“…Thus, bilateral lesions of the VMH (but not of the mPOA) in female ferrets blocked their preference to seek out male vs. female volatile pheromones, without disrupting subjects' ability to discriminate between these same odors when they were presented sequentially in habituation/dishabituation tests (Robarts and Baum, 2007). By contrast, bilateral lesions of the sexually dimorphic male nucleus of the POA/AH (Kindon et al, 1996;Paredes and Baum, 1995) actually reversed the normal heterosexual odor preference of male ferrets so that after receiving this lesion they preferred to approach volatile odors from other males (homosexual preference). This switch in odor preference following POA/ AH lesions implies that in the absence of this male-specific cluster Fig.…”

Section: Sex Differences In Sexual Partner Preference: Contribution Omentioning

confidence: 93%

Roles of sex and gonadal steroids in mammalian pheromonal communication

Baum

Bakker

2013

Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology

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a b s t r a c t A brain circuit (the accessory olfactory system) that originates in the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and includes the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) plus additional forebrain regions mediates many of the effects of pheromones, typically comprised of a variety of non-volatile and volatile compounds, on aspects of social behavior. A second, parallel circuit (the main olfactory system) that originates in the main olfactory epithelium (MOE) and includes the main olfactory bulb (MOB) has also been shown to detect volatile pheromones from conspecifics. Studies are reviewed that point to specific roles of several different steroids and their water-soluble metabolites as putative pheromones. Other studies are reviewed that establish an adult, 'activational' role of circulating sex hormones along with sex differences in the detection and/or processing of non-steroidal pheromones by these two olfactory circuits. Persisting questions about the role of sex steroids in pheromonal processing are posed for future investigation.

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Medial Preoptic/Anterior Hypothalamic Lesions Induce a Female-Typical Profile of Sexual Partner Preference in Male Ferrets

Cited by 85 publications

References 0 publications

Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Ventromedial hypothalamic nucleus lesions disrupt olfactory mate recognition and receptivity in female ferrets

Dopamine, the medial preoptic area, and male sexual behavior

Roles of sex and gonadal steroids in mammalian pheromonal communication

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