Singer A G, O'Connell R J, Macrides F, Bencsath A F, Agosta W C
Physiol Behav. 1983 Jan;30(1):139-43. doi: 10.1016/0031-9384(83)90049-5.
A volatile sulfur-containing compound that is characteristic of estrous (Day 1) hamster vaginal discharge has been identified as methyl thiolbutyrate (MTB). From numerous measurements of MTB concentration on each day of the estrous cycle, it is clear that this compound could well serve as a natural chemical signal of the estrous state of the female. Both the ability of MTB to attract male hamsters and its ability to facilitate copulatory behavior toward female surrogates were evaluated in behavioral experiments. The responses to MTB were compared to those elicited by dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), by a mixture of MTB and DMDS, by a grand mixture of MTB and DMDS with thirteen other known volatile constituents of the vaginal discharge, and by fresh vaginal discharge. In contrast to fresh vaginal discharge, none of the identified compounds or mixtures facilitated male copulatory behavior. Most of the attraction observed in the behavioral experiments could be attributed to the DMDS in the test samples. The MTB is readily converted to DMDS and may serve as a precursor of DMDS in the vaginal discharge.
一种具有发情期（第1天）仓鼠阴道分泌物特征的挥发性含硫化合物已被鉴定为甲基硫代丁酸酯（MTB）。通过对发情周期每一天的MTB浓度进行多次测量，很明显这种化合物可以很好地作为雌性发情状态的天然化学信号。在行为实验中评估了MTB吸引雄性仓鼠的能力及其促进对雌性替代物交配行为的能力。将对MTB的反应与二甲基二硫醚（DMDS）、MTB和DMDS的混合物、MTB和DMDS与其他13种已知阴道分泌物挥发性成分的大混合物以及新鲜阴道分泌物所引发的反应进行了比较。与新鲜阴道分泌物不同，所鉴定的化合物或混合物均未促进雄性交配行为。行为实验中观察到的大部分吸引力可归因于测试样品中的DMDS。MTB很容易转化为DMDS，并且可能在阴道分泌物中作为DMDS的前体。
