Behavioral and electrophysiological effects of androstadienone, a human pheromone.

Androstadienone is the most prominent androstene present on male human axillary hair and on the male axillary skin surface. We have previously shown that this volatile steroid is able to stimulate [corrected] the human female vomeronasal organ in picogram (pg) quantities, resulting in changes in autonomic activity. These effects are gender-specific.

The human vomeronasal system. A review.

Recent publications show that the human vomeronasal organ (VNO) develops and grows during gestation, and is present in all adult humans. The human VNO has a unique ultrastructure, with elongated bipolar microvillar cells that stain with several immunomarkers. These cells show physiological properties similar to chemosensory receptor cells of other mammalian species.

Modulation of serum testosterone and autonomic function through stimulation of the male human vomeronasal organ (VNO) with pregna-4,20-diene-3,6-dione.

In mammals, external chemosensory signals from conspecifics of the opposite sex acting on vomeronasal organ receptors can modulate the release of gonadotropins. There is developmental, anatomical and functional evidence showing that the human vomeronasal organ (VNO) has the characteristics of a chemosensory organ. We have been using naturally occurring human pheromones to serve as models for designing novel synthetic compounds that we call vomeropherins.

The functionality of the human vomeronasal organ (VNO): evidence for steroid receptors.

The human vomeronasal organ (VNO) is an anatomical entity which is generally considered to be vestigial or non-functional. Nevertheless, a steroidal vomeropherin applied to the human VNO, results in changes of autonomic function, pulsatile release of luteinizing and follicle-stimulating hormones, autonomic and electroencepholographic activity. The vomeropherin pregna-4,20-diene-3,6-dione (PDD) was delivered as pulses in an air stream directed into the lumen of the VNO or to the surface of the olfactory epithelium and respiratory epithelium of the nasal septum.

The human vomeronasal system.

We studied the functional characteristics of the vomeronasal system in clinically normal adult subjects of both sexes (ages 20-45). Chemosensory substances were administered in punctate pulses in a continuous air stream from the tip of a multifunctional miniprobe, which contained a nonpolarizable electrode. Negative potentials with the characteristics of receptor potentials were recorded from the surface of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and olfactory epithelium (OE) in response to certain substances defined here as vomeropherins (see definition in the introduction of the main text) and to olfactants.