Pregnancy Failure in Laboratory Mice after Multiple Short-term Exposure to Strange Males

Chipman, Robert K.; Holt, John A.; Fox, Kathryn

doi:10.1038/210653a0

Cited by 33 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

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“…Under natural conditions inseminated mice, especially non-suckling ones, may, without prolonged cohabitation with strange males, experience an interruption of pregnancy caused by multiple short-term exposure to the odour of several strange males or by the mere inhalation of these odours on trails. This has been shown to be true for the laboratory mouse by Chipman, Holt & Fox (1966) who also confirmed the blocking capacity of wild males. Thus olfactory stimuli may be factors regulating the growth and density of mouse populations.…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Enhancement of on-Time Nidations in Suckling Pregnant Mice by the Proximity of Strange Males

Bloch¹

1971

Journal of Endocrinology

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Female mice, mated at the post-partum oestrus and suckling six young, were exposed to the odour of 'strange' and 'alien' males. The proximity of the males caused nidation, usually delayed during lactation, to occur on time in a great proportion of females. The results are comparable to those obtained by administration of oestrogen to suckling and non-suckling females and it is suggested that the odour of the males brings about a secretion of follicle-stimulating hormone and oestrogen. This secretion might be the cause of the olfactory pregnancy-block in non-suckling females (Bruce effect). In suckling pregnant females pregnancy is blocked in a smaller proportion than in non-suckling ones.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 61%

Enhancement of on-Time Nidations in Suckling Pregnant Mice by the Proximity of Strange Males

Bloch¹

1971

Journal of Endocrinology

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“…The nature of the phenomenon also suggests that it may have a role in controlling population density (Chipman, Holt & Fox, 1966;Clulow & Clarke, 1968 ;Whitten & Bronson, 1970), and Mallory (1972) has suggested that pregnancy blocking may be involved in the population fluctuations of microtine rodents. A number of variables, however, may affect the importance of pregnancy blocking to animal populations in the wild : in mice, laboratory experiments indicate that some strains are more susceptible than others (Chapman & Whitten, 1969) and that blocking effectiveness may be reduced by grouping the females (Bruce, 1963), pre-exposing the females to many males, or the continued presence of the stud male (Parkes & Bruce, 1962).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

Pregnancy blocking in the vole, Microtus agrestis

Milligan¹

1976

Reproduction

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Pregnancy failed in a high proportion of newly mated Microtus agrestis females when they were exposed to a strange male between 48 and 72 hr after mating with a stud male. This effect of the strange male was testosterone dependent. Direct contact with the strange male was normally necessary, and even a single barrier of wire mesh between the female and strange male prevented the male from exerting his pregnancy-blocking effect. The results suggest that the stimuli mediating pregnancy blocking in the vole may differ from those operative in the mouse.

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“…The suggestion that pregnancy-block may play a part in the regulation of population levels of mammals in the wild (Chipman, Holt & Fox, 1966; Clarke, 1968) is being examined in this laboratory.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Pregnancy-Block in the Meadow Vole, Microtus Pennsylvanicus

Clulow¹,

Langford²

1971

Reproduction

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In meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus, bred from stock trapped in the wild and maintained under laboratory conditions, a reduction in the incidence of pregnancy (from 60% to 20%) follows exposure of recently inseminated females to strange males of the same species. Bruce (1959) first showed that pregnancy is interrupted if recently inseminated female albino mice, Mus musculus, are exposed to males other than those with which they have mated. In mice, this 'Bruce effect' is known to be due to failure of the fertilized ova to implant in the uterus (Bruce, 1960). Pheromones have been implicated in the mechanism of blockage (Bruce & Parrott, 1960). Male-induced blockage of pregnancy has also been reported in the deer mouse, Peromyscus maniculatus (Eleftheriou, Bronson & Zarrow, 1962; Bronson & Eleftheriou, 1963; Bronson, Eleftheriou & Garick, 1964) and the field vole, Microtus agrestis (Clulow & Clarke, 1968). An experiment was performed with the meadow vole, Microtus pennsylvanicus, to see if the same phenomenon occurs in this ubiquitous North American microtine rodent. Mature virgin voles, bred in this department from stock trapped in the wild, were used in the experiment. From weaning at 20 days of age, the animals were individually housed in plastic cages (28-5 17•5 12•5 cm) with ample water, hay for cover, cotton for bedding, unrestricted oats and carrot twice a

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Pregnancy Failure in Laboratory Mice after Multiple Short-term Exposure to Strange Males

Cited by 33 publications

References 4 publications

Enhancement of on-Time Nidations in Suckling Pregnant Mice by the Proximity of Strange Males

Enhancement of on-Time Nidations in Suckling Pregnant Mice by the Proximity of Strange Males

Pregnancy blocking in the vole, Microtus agrestis

Pregnancy-Block in the Meadow Vole, Microtus Pennsylvanicus

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