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Both Ovarian Fluid and Female Urine Increase Sex Steroid Hormone Levels in Mature Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Male Parr

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Abstract

We compared the ability of urine and ovarian fluid from female Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) to stimulate increase in plasma concentrations of sex steroid hormones in mature conspecific male parr (priming effect of the stimuli). We also tested the hypothesis that prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) may act as a priming pheromone in the tested stimulants. Individual males of salmon parr were exposed to female urine, ovarian fluid, urine–ovarian fluid mix, or PGF2α. Plasma concentrations of the sex steroids of 17,20β-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one (17,20β-P) were higher in males exposed to urine, ovarian fluids, and PGF2α compared to control males. PGF2α and a mixture of urine and ovarian fluid also gave increased concentrations of 11-ketotestosterone (11-KT). Concentrations of PGF2α were higher in ovarian fluids than in urine. A behavior test with mature male parr in a fluviarium showed neither attraction to nor avoidance of 0.1 nM PGF2α, but plasma levels of 17,20β-P were significantly higher in exposed males compared to controls.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Environmental Toxicology, EBC, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18A, SE-752 36, Uppsala, Sweden

    K. H. Olsén & R. Bjerselius

  2. Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    I. Mayer

  3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden

    H. Kindahl

Authors
  1. K. H. Olsén
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  2. R. Bjerselius
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  3. I. Mayer
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  4. H. Kindahl
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Olsén, K.H., Bjerselius, R., Mayer, I. et al. Both Ovarian Fluid and Female Urine Increase Sex Steroid Hormone Levels in Mature Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) Male Parr. J Chem Ecol 27, 2337–2349 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012243323670

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