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Abstract Our aim was to study the role of the olfactory amygdala (medial and cortical nuclei) and the ventromedial nucleus of the hypothalamus (VMN) in the ability of the male odour or live males to induce a release of luteinizing hormone in anoestrus ewes. To achieve this, we temporarily blocked the activity of these structures by localized retrodialysis administration of the anaesthetic lidocaine. The effect of ram odour on the secretion of luteinizing hormone was completely blocked by inactivation of the cortical nucleus of the amygdala. In contrast, inactivation of part of the accessory olfactory system (the medial nucleus of the amygdala or the VMN) had no effect. In the presence of the male, lidocaine never impaired the endocrine response of the ewes. These results show that modulation of reproduction by the sexual partner even through pheromonal cues does not occur via the direct circuit of the accessory system. On the contrary, the cortical nucleus of the amygdala is absolutely necessary for the treatment of and/or the response to the male olfactory signal but this structure can be bypassed when other sensory cues are available

Ability. --- Activity. --- Amygdala. --- Cues. --- Endocrine. --- Ewe. --- Ewes. --- Hormone. --- Hypothalamus. --- Luteinizing-hormone. --- Male. --- Males. --- Modulation. --- Nucleus. --- Odour. --- Olfactory. --- Ram. --- Release. --- Reproduction. --- Response. --- Secretion. --- Sensory. --- Sexual. --- System. --- Treatment.

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Understanding a species' behaviour in natural conditions can give insights into its development, responses and welfare in captivity. Here, we review research and pest control literatures on the free-living house mouse (Mus musculus), analysing its sensory world, developmental processes and behaviour to suggest how laboratory environments might affect mouse welfare, normalcy, test design, and behaviour. Mouse development from foetus to weaning is influenced by prenatal stress and nutrient levels, and post-natal litter size and other factors affecting maternal care, all with lasting effects on adult bodyweight, aggression, activity levels, stress responsiveness and masculinisation. These influences may well be important in the laboratory, for example unwittingly differing between facilities leading to site-differences in phenotype. Murine senses are dominated by olfactory, auditory and tactile cues. Their hearing extends into the ultrasonic, and vision, from mid-range wavelengths to the ultraviolet. In mouse facilities, behaviour and welfare may therefore also be affected by sensory stimuli unnoticed by humans. The physical and social environment and behaviour of wild mice differ greatly from those of laboratory mice. Dispersal age varies with resource-levels and social cues, and mice often either live alone or in family groups. Mice occupy territories/ranges measuring a few square meters to several square kilometers, and which allow running, climbing, and buff owing. Mice are often active during dawn/dusk, and spend their time patrolling their territories, investigating neighbours' odour cues, foraging, finding mates and rearing litters. The potential impact of these many differences and restrictions on laboratory mouse development, normalcy and welfare has only begun to be explored. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Activity. --- Adult. --- Age. --- Aggression. --- Anogenital distance. --- Auditory. --- Barrel cortex. --- Behaviour. --- Biology. --- Boxes. --- Captivity. --- Care. --- Control. --- Cues. --- Design. --- Development. --- Dispersal. --- Domesticus rutty. --- Environment. --- Environmental enrichment. --- Environments. --- Female mice. --- Foetus. --- Foraging. --- Group. --- Hearing. --- House mouse. --- Human. --- Humans. --- Intrauterine position. --- Island population. --- Laboratory environment. --- Laboratory mice. --- Laboratory mouse. --- Laboratory. --- Level. --- Litter size. --- Major urinary proteins. --- Maternal care. --- Maternal-behavior. --- Maternal-care. --- Maternal. --- Mice. --- Mouse. --- Mus musculus. --- Mus-musculus. --- Musculus. --- Natural. --- Odour. --- Olfactory. --- Parental care. --- Physical. --- Prenatal stress. --- Prenatal. --- Rearing. --- Research. --- Response. --- Responses. --- Restriction. --- Review. --- Senses. --- Sensory biology. --- Sensory. --- Size. --- Social environment. --- Social. --- Standardisation. --- Stimuli. --- Stress. --- Territories. --- Territory. --- Test. --- Time. --- Vary. --- Vision. --- Weaning. --- Welfare. --- Wild.