The Role of the Vomeronasal Organ in Behavioral Control of Reproduction

Johns, Margaret A.

doi:10.1111/j.1749-6632.1986.tb28007.x

Cited by 15 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In addition, recent studies have provided some clues concerning the neuroendocrine integration of olfaction and reproduction. In fact, an interaction between olfactive and reproductive function has been largely con®rmed by the reports that gonadal hormones are involved in olfaction (27), that olfactory cues affect copulatory behavior and gonadotropin secretion (28) and that pheromones may regulate ovulation in humans (29). The involvment of activin A in the interaction between olfaction and reproductive behaviour could be mediated by the increse in carvone-induced GnRH secretion (16).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human GnRH-secreting cultured neurons express activin betaA subunit mRNA and secrete dimeric activin A

Florio

Vannelli²,

Luisi³

et al. 2000

European Journal of Endocrinology

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Objective: To evaluate the expression of activin bA-subunit mRNA and the secretion of activin A in/from cultured GnRH-secreting neuronal cells cloned from human olfactory epithelium (FNC-B4), which showed biochemical and antigenic properties of GnRH-secreting neurons. Design: FNC-B4 cells were cultured in basal and conditioned media. Methods: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RTR±PCR) evaluated the expression of activin bA-subunit mRNA. By using a speci®c ELISA, dimeric activin A concentrations were measured in culture media, in the absence or presence of carvone or forskolin and with different doses of progesterone, GnRH, and estradiol. Results: RT±PCR experiments performed on total RNA isolated from FNC-B4 cells, using speci®c primers for the activin bA gene, showed a 787 bp DNA band corresponding to the bA gene. FNC-B4 cells secreted activin A, and the highest accumulation in conditioned medium was achieved after 3 h culture: the addition of forskolin, but not of carvone, was able to stimulate the release of activin A from cultured neuronal cells (P < 0.01). When progesterone or GnRH was added, a signi®cant accumulation of activin A was observed (P < 0.01), while estradiol administration did not signi®cantly affect activin A secretion. Conclusion: To date, this is the only study, in an in vitro human model reporting, that GnRH-secreting neuronal cells expressed activin bA-subunit mRNA, and released dimeric activin A in culture medium. The expression and secretion of activin suggests that in these cells activin A might exert its action by autocrine/paracrine mechanisms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Human GnRH-secreting cultured neurons express activin betaA subunit mRNA and secrete dimeric activin A

Florio

Vannelli²,

Luisi³

et al. 2000

European Journal of Endocrinology

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“…Therefore, a potential mechanism for functional integration is for a single sensory modality to affect multiple functional neural systems. For example, olfactory influences emanating from the vomeronasal organ play an important role in modulating gonadotropin secretion and the display of copulatory behavior (Wysocki, 1979;Johns, 1986). This olfactory information is relayed to the hypothalamus primarily by the medial nucleus of the amygdala and the principal nucleus of the BST (see Simerly, 1990), both of which provide strong inputs to the medial preoptic nucleus and ventromedial nucleus ( Fig.…”

Section: Functional Neural Systemsmentioning

confidence: 98%

Organization of the Hypothalamus

Simerly

2015

The Rat Nervous System

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“…The projecting neurons of the AOB connect with higher brain areas such as the bed nucleus of the accessory olfactory tract, the posteromedial cortical amygdaloid nucleus, the medial amygdaloid nucleus, the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and the supraoptic nucleus 14,38,39,45 . In rodents, the accessory olfactory system is thought to play a role in the pheromone chemoreception between conspecifics 17,21 , mechanism involved in reproductive and maternal behavior 7,13,25,30,48,50 . By contrast, the main olfactory system has a more generalized function, processing environmental chemical information with no predetermined meaning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%