Pheromones trigger brain cell growth, say researchers
Last Updated: Monday, July 2, 2007 | 9:01 AM MT
CBC News
Pheromone signals from dominant males spark new brain cells in their
female partners and could help repair injured brains, suggests a new
study by a University of Calgary neuroscientist.
Sam Weiss's findings, in the July issue of the journal Nature
Neuroscience, provide evidence that pheromones — subtle chemical
signatures that influence mating behaviour — can control stem cells
in the brain.
The study also shows that in females, two brain areas that affect
memory and smell work together in developing a pheromonal bond with
the desired male.
"It turns out that those two regions are also regions where new
neurons are added throughout the lifetime of all mammals, including
humans," said Weiss, director of the university's Hotchkiss Brain
Institute.
In his research, Weiss exposed female mice to the scent of the alpha
male, and found newly generated neurons in the hippocampus and
olfactory bulb — the seats of memory and smell, respectively.
The scent of a subordinate male did not stimulate brain cell growth.
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After two weeks, when presented with a group of males, the female was
better able to recognize the dominant male's scent.
By blocking brain cell production, Weiss found females were no longer
able to link the scent with its owner.
"If you stop the production of brain cells, would you stop [this
recognition] down the road?" asked Weiss. "That's exactly what we
found."
Explanation for brain stem cells
Weiss believes his research helps explain why humans have stem cells
in their brains.
"Nobody actually ever understood why those two regions of the brain
are ones that add brain cells in such increasing numbers," he said.
"Reproductive success, and the health of relationships and offspring
is critical for the survival of any species, so if stem cells are
going to play a role, they should be playing a role in ensuring
success in health."
Weiss found pheromonal signals act to increase levels of prolactin
and luteinizing hormone in the brain, triggering the growth of new
neurons from neural stem cells.
He hopes an improved knowledge of this process will allow researchers
to harness stem cells for repairing brain injuries.
"Hormones may be natural boosters of brain cell production," said
Weiss. "The hormones themselves may be the critical parts of turning
brain cells on [and] we're starting to test whether the hormones
could actually be a part of repair processes."
http://www.cbc.
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StemCells subscribers may also be interested in these sites:
Children's Neurobiological Solutions
http://www.CNSfoundation.org/
Cord Blood Registry
http://www.CordBlood.com/at.cgi?a=150123
The CNS Healing Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/CNS_Healing
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