Intermale sexual effect elicited by volatile urinary ether extract inMicrocebus murinus (Prosimian, Primates)

Abstract

The effect of volatiles of diethyl ether-extracted dominant male mouse lemur urine on conspeciflc testosterone plasma concentrations was determined in an apparatus permitting olfactory isolation of the experimental subjects. Two experimental groups were exposed to air odorized with either ether or aqueous extracts of dominant male urine, while a third group received nonodorant air. Testosterone concentrations were measured before, during, and after the period of stimulation. The group submitted to the lipid fraction of dominant urine (N = 15) showed a significant decrease in testosterone concentrations. In contrast, no difference was observed between the group submitted to the aqueous fraction (N = 10) and the controls (N = 11). This physiological effect, which occurs in response to conditions of persistent stress, appears to be due to lipophilic components present in the urine of dominant males. The results are discussed in terms of the social structure of this primitive primate species.