啮齿动物性识别外激素的研究概况及方法

啮齿动物普遍利用外激素进行性识别。具有性识别功能的外激素可能由身体各个发出气味的部位产生,例如,尿液、粪便、唾液、精液、胚胎液、阴道分泌物、特化皮肤腺分泌物等。外激素的产生器官,尤其特化皮肤腺的形态、组织结构、所产生的化学成分和性识别功能有季节和性别的差异,并且受到脑垂体、内分泌腺和性腺分泌激素的调节。确定气味的识别功能和产生源,常利用被试鼠对雌雄气味的行为反应差异;生理调节作用的研究常采用切除有关的激素分泌腺和植入外源的激素后,气味产生器官的形态、组织结构和分泌物化学成分,以及对气味的嗅觉反应的变化的方法;化学研究涉及到气味分析样品的制备和对样品进行化学分析,进一步的活性成分的鉴定还要和生物测定相结合。

An Outline of Studies of Sex-Identifying Pheromones in Rodents

It is universal that rodents use pheromones or odors to recognize sexes.These odors are produced by different positions on body surface such as urine,faces,saliva,semen,embryonic fluid,viginal excretion,and skin gland secretion.Chemical composition and function of odors as well as odor-producing organs' morphology and tissue structure have seasonal and sexual differences,and they are in general mediated by hormones from pituitary,gonads,adrenals,thyroid and so on.Behavioral responses of rodents to male and female's odors are often used to assess odor's function in sex recognition and locate the relevant odor sources;that the source (gland) removal and replacement of a hormone result in changes either in morphology,tissue structures,and chemical compounds of odor producing organs,or in olfactory responses can be used to probe the hormone's effects on chemical communication.Chemical methods used in the rodent communication mainly include both different approaches to collect odors and a variety of chemical analytical techniques.