Elicitation of male mouse (Mus musculus) ultrasonic vocalizations: I. Urinary cues.

18 experiments on a total of 223 DBA/2J, AKD2F1/J, and hybrid mice, plus additional social-experience mice, examined the physical characteristics and physiological modulation of the ultrasound-eliciting property of female urine. The following results were found: An excitatory factor exists in female urine, and male urine is essentially neutral with regard to ultrasound elicitation. The ultrasound-eliciting factor is relatively nonvolatile and heat resistant, although extreme heat will destroy its activity. Ovarian and adrenal hormones appear relatively unimportant. Exogenous androgen suppresses female urinary ultrasound-eliciting activity. Castration of males did not improve the ability of their adult urine to elicit ultrasounds, nor did administration of androgen to neonatal females suppress the ability of their adult urine to elicit ultrasounds. Hypophysectomy eliminates the ultrasound-eliciting properties of female urine, which suggests that the dimorphism in ultrasound elicitation may be regulated by pituitary hormones. (25 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)