Singer A G, Clancy A N, Macrides F, Agosta W C
Physiol Behav. 1984 Oct;33(4):639-43. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(84)90384-6.
Our previous studies have demonstrated that macromolecular fractions of hamster vaginal discharge elicit intense genital investigation and facilitate copulatory behavior toward anesthetized males (female surrogates) whose hindquarters have been scented with these fractions, and that the aphrodisiac activity is significantly reduced in the vaginal discharge of ovariectomized (OVEX) or hypophysectomized (HYPOX) females. The present series of studies compared the protein compositions of estrous, diestrous, OVEX, and HYPOX vaginal discharge, and assessed whether protein digestion of estrous vaginal discharge affects its aphrodisiac activity. Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of vaginal lavages showed that the endocrine status of females has a profound effect on the protein composition of the vaginal discharge. The concentration of the major proteins dropped by about ten-fold in going from the estrous to the diestrous condition. The concentration of these same proteins appear to be at least another order of magnitude lower in the vaginal discharges of OVEX and HYPOX females. These major proteins had molecular weights greater than 10,000 Daltons. A macromolecular fraction of estrous vaginal discharge isolated by gel filtration at elevated temperature (conditions known to separate some protein-bound steroids) and containing proteins of molecular weight greater than 10,000 Daltons was found to be modestly but significantly less active than estrous discharge in its ability to elicit intense genital investigation, and not significantly different from estrous discharge in its ability to facilitate overt copulatory behavior toward scented surrogates. Pronase digestion of the proteins in this fraction did not alter its effects on investigatory behavior toward scented surrogates but significantly reduced its ability to facilitate copulatory behavior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
我们之前的研究表明，仓鼠阴道分泌物的大分子组分能引发强烈的生殖器探究行为，并促进对后躯已用这些组分加香的麻醉雄性（雌性替代物）的交配行为，而且去卵巢（OVEX）或垂体切除（HYPOX）雌性的阴道分泌物中，催情活性显著降低。本系列研究比较了发情期、动情间期、去卵巢和垂体切除雌性的阴道分泌物的蛋白质组成，并评估了发情期阴道分泌物的蛋白质消化是否会影响其催情活性。阴道灌洗液的聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳显示，雌性的内分泌状态对阴道分泌物的蛋白质组成有深远影响。从发情期到动情间期，主要蛋白质的浓度下降了约10倍。在去卵巢和垂体切除雌性的阴道分泌物中，这些相同蛋白质的浓度似乎至少又低了一个数量级。这些主要蛋白质的分子量大于10,000道尔顿。在高温下通过凝胶过滤分离得到的发情期阴道分泌物的大分子组分（已知该条件可分离一些与蛋白质结合的类固醇），其分子量大于10,000道尔顿，发现该组分引发强烈生殖器探究行为的能力虽适度但显著低于发情期分泌物，而在促进对加香替代物的明显交配行为方面，与发情期分泌物无显著差异。该组分中蛋白质经链霉蛋白酶消化后，对加香替代物的探究行为影响不变，但显著降低了其促进交配行为的能力。（摘要截短于250字）
