Effects of male pheromones on neuronal morphology in the dentate gyrus of hippocampus of female Mice

Background & Aims: Neurogenesis in the adult mammal brain occurs throughout life. Adult neurogenesis has been clearly demonstrated in the sub granular zone (SGZ) of the dentate gyrus (DG) in the hippocampus. Pheromones that plays an essential role in the development of the central nervous system. The male pheromones are involved in regulating neurogenesis in both the olfactory bulb and hippocampus, which may be important for female reproductive success. The golgi silver impregnation method is a powerful method still routinely used for studying neuronal morphology. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of pheromones on the neuronal morphology in the mice hippocampus. Materials and Methods: Thirty adult NMRI mice 6-8 weeks were used in this study. Adult female animals were divided into four groups. These intact and bilaterally ovariectomized mice and males were placed with and without wire mesh in cage. The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and brain was sectioned (50 μm) and stained with golgi method and observed by microscope. Results: Neuronal arborization in pheromones group has different with and without pheromones groups. The morphology features of the dentate gyrus neurons of the hippocampus were varied in the exposure to the pheromones as compared to other group. Conclusion: This study report that the pheromones of males stimulate neurogenesis and neuronal morphology in the hippocampus of female mice.