Acceleration and delay of puberty in female housemice: methods of delivery of the urinary stimulus.

A series of 7 experiments tested various methods for delivery of male and female urinary chemosignals which affect age of 1st estrus in young female mice. An initial experiment demonstrated that in and of themselves none of the delivery techniques used alters puberty without the accompanying urine stimulus. A series of 4 experiments with male urine revealed that acceleration of puberty occurred only when the females could achieve direct contact with the urine. Possible reception via the vomeronasal organ is suggested as an explanation for these data. In contrast, the urinary chemosignal from grouped females which delays 1st estrus produces its effect regardless of the mode of delivery. Reception of this chemosignal apparently may occur at the olfactory epithelium.