Use of Pheremones Flashcards
What were pheromones ORIGINALLY described as?
Karlson and Luscher 1959 - Substances secreted to the outside of an individual and received by a second individual of the same species in which they release a specific reaction
How are pheromones now defined?
Brennan and Jeverne 2004 - Chemical substances that convey information among individuals of the same species
What are the two types of pheromone?
- Releaser
Substances that elicit immediate behavioural effects eg. alarm signals - Primer
Cause long term changes in neuroendocrine or developmental state eg. ovulation
What functions do pheromones have?
Signalling social status Locating food navigation Alarm signalling Predator detection
What two sensory systems are capable of transducing pheremonal information?
Main olfatory system
Vomeronasal organ
- rabbit kittens without a mature VNO show response to milk pheromone
What is another name for the vomeronasal organ?
Jacobson’s organ
What is the vomeronasal organ? Which species possess it?
Many mammals but NOT higher primates
- blind ended mucous filled tube on the floor of the nasal cavity
- connects oral and nasal cavity via small ducts
- sensitive to small quantities of odour
Where do pheromone receptor neurones run to?
Accessory olfactory bulb
Nerve pojectinos to the limbic system
- influence hormones production from the hypothalamus
- modulations in reactive state
How may the VNO be exposed?
Horses, cats and rabbits - Flehmen
Cats and dogs -tonguing and panting
Is the effect of pheromones innate or learnt?
Initially appeared innate and stereotyped, but learnt component shown to be present
eg. Kindermann 1994 - nipple searching behaviour in rabbit pups, single exposure to artificial scent during suckling sufficient to elicit this behaviour
Which body secretions contain pheromones?
Any and all!
Specialised glands int he skin and mucous membranes especially -
Anal sacs
Supra caudal glands
Peri-oral glands (cheek, chin and lips, in dogs the ears)
Podal glands (pads and itnerdigital region)
Mammary region - appeasines
What are appeasins?
Have a comforting effect on neonates - secreted from the mammary glands
What are the 3 groups of cat pheromones?
- Urine and scratching
- Alarm marks from anal glands and podal glands
- Facial and flank pheremones
What is F1 used for?
Used in core territory - associated with positive emotional state ?
What is F2 used for?
Sexual displays
What is F3 used for?
Known and unknown
What is F4 used for?
Marking members of social group (scent profile)
When and why does urine spraying occur?
Sexual signal, maintainence of distance between cats (territory marking,) associated with negative emotional states ?
When did development of synthetic pheromones begin?
Early 1990s - pheremonotherapy began
Which synthetic pheromones are produced commercially?
2 for cats - F3 feliway (spray or diffuser) and F4 felifriend (spray only)
1 for dogs - DAP (Dog appeasing pheromone) or ADAPTIL (spray, plug in diffuser, collar)
1 for horses - EAP (Intra-nasal spray - stressful?!) Pherocalm
Should there be cross species effecs of these pheromone products?
NO owing to the definition of a pheromone
Why has F4 felifriend not been very effective?
Used to “cover up” people the cats should be fearful of eg. vets leading to ^ anxiety as been fooled into thinking they should be a nice person, learning that they cannot trust the smells any more
Give a study supporting use of F3 Feliway diffusers
Mills and Mills 2001 Decreased urine spraying without any behavioural therapy concurrently
When is F3 Feliway most useful?
Novel Environments where no negative association has been formed, eg. hospitalisation - allowing less anxiety. Calming effect PRIOR to catheterisation. Holiday homes - decreased urination and ate sooner
Transport - spray car with F3 -> less urination, salivation, vocalisation and agitation
