Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) immunoreactive neurons in male mouse lemurs following removal of the vomeronasal organ

Abstract

Removal of the vomeronasal organ (VNO) in male mouse lemurs led to an increase in the number of immunoreactive gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons in the medial preoptic area, compared to control males. No difference was found in the mediobasal hypothalamus. In this primate, which presents a fully functional VNO, the anterior part of the hypothalamus could be the major target for VNO-mediated regulation of GnRH function and the subsequent modulation of chemosensory dependent reproductive behavior.