[The sexual behavior, chemosignals and reproductive success in the male mice during activation of nonspecific immune response].

Hypothesis of reproductive compensation (Gowaty et al., 2007) suggests that constraining of free mating preference leads to reduction of the viability of progenies, which could be, partially, compensated by higher fecundity of the constrained parents. We consider infection as one of natural causes constraining female mating choice, because infection or immune response to infection can modulate male sexual demonstrations. Here we studied influence of LPS (bacterial endotoxin, activating non-specific immune response) on chemical attractiveness, sexual behavior and reproductive success in the outbreed male mice mated with the non-treated females. Single or repeated LPS administrations lead to increase of scent attractiveness of the male urine and soiled bedding for the non-estrus females. Injection of LPS (dose 50 mkg/kg) did not suppress the male sexual behavior. Time from pairing to successful mating correlates positively with the body mass of 16 day embryo. Embryos development, assessed by their body mass, was reduced in the females mated with the LPS-treated males. Higher level of plasma progesterone found in the females mated with the LPS-treated males, and shift of successful mating to the later time did not compensate reduction of embryo mass. At the same time the females mated with the LPS-treated males showed lower embryo lost in comparison with the females mated with the control males.