Analysis of puberty-accelerating pheromones.

Two experiments were performed to test putative puberty-accelerating pheromones. In the first experiment, 37 weanling female house mice of the ICR strain were exposed to 1 of the following 3 treatments: an airborne mixture of 0.05 M isoamylamine and 0.05 M isobutylamine, fresh male mouse urine, or distilled water, as the control. Neither the amine mixture nor the male urine accelerated first estrus in the mice following airborne exposure to these compounds. In the second experiment, 37 weanling female mice of the same strain were exposed to the same chemicals as in the first experiment by direct contact to the oro-nasal groove. The mixture of isoamylamine and isobutylamine did not accelerate puberty, but direct contact with the male urine accelerated puberty as evidenced by uterine weights.